A Thousand Secrets Whispered to the Night
by XAMAYA-CHANX
Summary: [Original SasuSaku fic] Sakura recently has been dreaming about a boy running away from danger. There's a new trasferred student in her class who shares a strong resemblace with someone she has met before. [More inside if you're curious to find out.]
1. Dream

**--------------------------------------------------------**

**A Thousand Secrets Whispered to the Night**

.::Chapter One::.

**Dream**

**--------------------------------------------------------**

_Echoes of cries resounded in his ears. His dark eyes widened in horror as blood filled his hands. Streams of tears ran down his pale cheeks. He was shrouded by darkness and he ran with all his might to escape this frightening nightmare. He glanced back every second as a mysterious figure followed him. _

"_Get away…" he pleaded, his voice barely in a whisper. _

_More tears rolled down his face. The pain was too much to bear. A boy his age couldn't possibly go through so much suffering. He desperately looked around him as he ran. In his mind he pleaded for help, but it was hopeless. He knew he was a goner._

_The pain shot through his body as he landed cold on the ground. He winced in pain and desperately tried to get up, but it was too late. The mysterious figure towered over him. He wore a long black cloak that reached the ground and his hood covered half of his face, which revealed only his nose and mouth. The little boy was certain he saw him grin behind the depths of the shadows. _

_So many thoughts ran through his mind. He froze in fear. His mind told him to run, but his legs told him otherwise. The figure approached him slowly and stopped as he took out a long, gray sword that was covered with blood. One drop of blood landed on the ground and the boy was instantly taken aback with memories the flowed through his mind, memories he tried so hard to forget and wished never happened. _

_Both of them didn't move an inch. The boy was too scared to and the mysterious person just stared intently at him. A gentle breeze swiftly passed by. The boy's raven hair and the figure's long black cloak swayed along with the rustling leaves of the trees. The blades of the grass tickled the boy's bare hands. The dark clouds slowly drifted across the sky which eventually revealed the moon's pale light that shadowed beyond the two individuals. The boy gasped and his eyes widened as the mysterious person took off his hood while the light shone on him and revealed his true identity. A small tear rolled down the boy's face._

_Abruptly, in a flash of a light, the figure disappeared out of his sight._

"_Why?" the boy whispered and suddenly entered a world of darkness he couldn't escape anymore. _

--

Beads of sweat ran down Sakura's pale face. She quickly wiped them away while she breathed deeply and tried her best to catch her own breath. She held her head and winced in pain as it throbbed.

"That dream again," she said to herself.

Memories of the dream traced back in Sakura's mind. She wondered to herself why she always dreamt of the same dream over and over again, why it wouldn't just disappear. She pondered over this question every time she woke up from the same dream. It just didn't made sense to her at all.

Sakura jumped in surprise as the window banged loudly. She quickly got out of her bed alarmed. Sakura immediately stopped as shivers went up her spine as her bare feet touched the chilly surface of the ground. She quickly walked to her window and backed away as a small rock slightly hit the window again.

"Sakura!" a distant voice yelled from below.

Sakura easily recognized the voice and slid open the window. Her green eyes winced as they met the sun's bright illuming light.

"Miu!" Sakura said as she met a pair of gray scornful eyes.

"Sakura…geez. You're late again," Miu said exasperated.

Sakura immediately looked at her clock and gasped in surprised.

She cursed at herself and said, "Sorry, Miu. I'll be there in a minute!"

--

"Next time I'll go without you," Miu said playfully as she winked at Sakura.

"Sorry about that Miu."

They walked along the sidewalk of the streets. Cars quickly zoomed passed by them. Birds chirped cheerfully on the trees. Sakura looked above her as she walked. The sky was cloudless and crystal clear. She held the same anxious expression until she sighed deeply. Sakura thought about how she could be so gloomy in a bright, cheerful day.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Miu asked curiously.

Sakura pondered whether she should tell Miu or not about the dream she had been having recently. She trusted Miu enough, but she wasn't sure what Miu will think.

"Nothing. I'm just tired, that's all," Sakura said as she reassured her with a smile.

But Miu was not convinced easily.

"Tired, eh?" Miu said mischievously.

She stared intently at Sakura, which made Sakura feel a bit uneasy. Then Miu finally said, "I've noticed something about you."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks.

"You've been acting strange lately, you know?" Miu said as she looked off into the distance.

Sakura couldn't keep this to herself anymore. She had to tell Miu about this weird dream; despite if she laughed at her, gave her weird looks, or anything. It didn't matter anymore.

"Miu-," but Sakura was interrupted short after.

Miu dragged her along some thick bushes nearby. Sakura accidentally pricked her finger on one of the thorns and she immediately drew back. A drop of blood slithered down her finger and Sakura instantly remembered of her dream again.

_His dark eyes widened in horror as blood filled his hands._

'_Blood…'_ Sakura thought to herself.

"Are you okay? Sorry about that," Miu said.

Sakura snapped back to reality. She nodded to reassure Miu she was alright and asked, "Why are we hiding?"

"Look," Miu pointed to a direction from the distance.

A tall boy stood at the other end of the sidewalk and scratched his short black hair in confusion. His sapphire eyes darted from one spot to another as he desperately looked for someone.

"I'm sure I saw her here somewhere…" he murmured to himself.

"It's that Jin boy again," Miu whispered as she kept her gaze at him, "Be careful he doesn't find us again."

"We already avoided him yesterday," Sakura murmured, "and I don't want him bothering me again today either."

After a few seconds Jin's face lit up as he instantly spotted Sakura and Miu.

"Sakura-chan!" he cheerfully yelled out.

"Damn…we better get out of here quick," Miu said as she slowly turned around but jumped, startled to find Jin smiling widely at them.

"How the hell-,"

"I knew you'd be here!" he said as he smiled lightheartedly at Sakura, "Let's walk together to school, Sakura-chan."

"Sorry," Miu said as she held Sakura's wrist firmly and quickly got up from the ground, "But thanks for the offer. See ya!"

Miu dragged Sakura along with her as they ran away from Jin.

"Sakura-chan..." Jin said as he sighed.

--

A group of muscular men surrounded one boy in particular. The boy received angry and annoyed faces, but he didn't seem to mind at all. He stood there with his eyes shut, not being concerned of his whereabouts. He simply just stood there with his hands resting inside his pockets.

"Such a brave boy like you to trespass our territory," one man said between his teeth. He stroked his black beard and sneered at the boy before him.

"Humph," the boy finally said.

The same man from before furrowed his eyebrows into one as the steam started to rise inside his body.

"No one talks like that to the boss," one of the men said as he darted straight towards the boy with full speed. He landed flat on the ground as the boy easily dodged his attack.

"Think you're so great, don't ya, you bastard!" the man on the ground said as he quickly got up and launched a punch at the boy, but the boy quickly blocked it as he simply grabbed the fist before it hit him.

The boy slowly opened his lids as he revealed a pair of dark eyes and said, "You're annoying," and kicked him harshly in the ribs with his knee. The man coughed out some spit as his eyes widened and fell motionless on the ground.

"So…who's next?" he asked coolly.

--

Both Sakura and Miu breathed madly as they tried to get away from one certain person. They jogged along the sidewalk without stopping as they tried to lose sight of Jin.

"Geez…he keeps on finding us," Miu complained with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"He's chasing me…not you. Sorry…I got you into this…Miu," Sakura said in between breaths.

"Hey, what are friends for? If I'm not there, you'll be living hell with Jin."

Both Sakura and Miu laughed with each other. It's the first time the whole day Sakura actually felt better, being alongside with Miu.

"What would I do without you?" Sakura said.

--

Only one man stood conscious on the ground as the rest of them were on the ground.

"Worthless pieces of shit," he hissed at them, "They were useless from the start. But unlike them, I'll seriously kick your ass, kid!"

The boss of the group ran towards the boy as he struck a punch at him, but failed as the boy caught it like he did before with the other man. The boy punched him across the face and a stream of blood flowed down the boss's nose.

He quickly wiped away the blood and said as he gritted his teeth, "You asked for it, kid," and took out a pocket knife. The blade was sharp and it shone as the sun gleamed on it. The boy however didn't show any signs of fear or whatsoever. He remained in a calm state and didn't move an inch.

The boss launched the knife right onto the boy's stomach, but the boy caught his wrist before the boss had time to do so and threw the knife from a distance so the boss couldn't reach it. The boy smirked at the boss and he knew that he knew it was over.

--

The boy walked passed the group of men who all laid on the ground unconscious. They asked for trouble, so they got it. Not a single scratch was printed on his pale face. None of the group of men were able to lay their hands on him. He slowly made his way through the dark alley and stopped short as he said, "I was just taking a shortcut."

Sakura stopped in her tracks and Miu kept running without her as she didn't notice Sakura halted to a stop.

Sakura felt her heart skip a million beats. Before her stood a tall, handsome boy who gazed deep into her green eyes without showing any emotion at all. Sakura locked eyes with his dark ones. His pale face and dark eyes hypnotized her and Sakura couldn't look away for as much as she tried to. She has seen this face somewhere before. But for as much as she tried to remember, somehow she couldn't. Who was this boy who nearly made Sakura's heart jump out of her chest? She had to find out.

"Excuse me…have we met somewhere before?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura! Hurry up! We're going to be late to school!" Miu shouted from a distance as she waved at Sakura.

"I'll be there in a second!" Sakura reassured her and quickly turned back to face the boy again, but he had disappeared out of thin air. Sakura stared at the blank spot stupefied and confused. Her eyebrows furrowed in disappointment.

"Who was he?" Sakura murmured to herself and quickly ran up to Miu as they continued their way to school.

--

"Haruno Sakura! Suzuki Miu! You're late again!" the teacher yelled furiously as Sakura and Miu winced and slowly backed away from their sensei.

"Sorry," Sakura finally got the courage to say and continued, "It's all my fault. Please excuse Miu."

"No!" Miu stubbornly said, "It's my fault. Really, sensei. I'm the cause of this."

"I don't care whose fault it is! Both of you two are going to stay after school for detention sweeping the floors. Understood?" he said grimly as he pushed his glasses farther up his nose.

"Yes…" both girls said in disappointment.

The both of them hesitantly walked to their desks as giggles and snickers were heard from their classmates. Jin watched in disappointment as Sakura collapsed in her desk and burrowed her face between her arms.

A girl who sat behind Sakura said teasingly, "Sweeping up the floors, again, eh, Cinderella?"

But she stopped the instant Miu shot her a deadly glare.

"I almost forgot to mention from the trouble I had to go through," the teacher said as he quickly went to take a seat on his front desk.

"Starting today we have a new student, class," he continued, "He should be here any moment."

The girls in the class started to whisper to one another after they heard the teacher address the new student as a boy.

"I wonder if he's hot," one of them said.

"If he is, he's all mine," another girl from the same group said.

"No way. You can't have two guys at the same time, you slut," another one said.

"Will you all shut up!?" Miu yelled exasperated. "He's here already."

All faces turned towards the boy standing causally in the front of the room. Squeals were heard from the girls. The boys in the class obviously didn't show any interest. Miu rolled her eyes, sighed, and said, "He's only been here for one second and already created a fan girl club."

Sakura looked up and her cheeks instantly blushed as soon as she saw him.

"Meet Uchiha Sasuke," the teacher finally said.

"Uchiha…Sasuke…" Sakura whispered to herself for the boy who stood in front of the room was the same familiar face she saw earlier today at the alley.

--

**A/N:** This is my first SasuSaku hence Naruto original fic. The only characters I'll have in my fic from Naruto are Sakura and Sasuke.

Main Characters:

Sasuke -15  
Sakura -15

Supporting (and OC) Characters:

Miu -15  
Jin -15

They're on their first year in High School. Any questions, just ask. There might be some confusion, especially with the beginning. Costructive Criticism is **HIGHLY** recommended. I beg of you, please do not flame me if you're an anti-SasuSaku shipper. I know they're a lot out there.

Originally I was going to name Miu "Jin", but since it's a common name for boys, I called Jin "Jin" instead. Haha. And I just kinda noticed after I named him that name that that's the name for the main character of Samurai Champloo (I don't watch that anime). I'll quit my jaberring. Please review!! Thanks!!


	2. Savior

**.::CHAPTER TWO::.**

**SAVIOR**

Sakura outstretched her arms as she yawned softly. She rubbed her eyes and let herself fall quietly on the bright green grass. She smiled warmly to herself as the soft wind gently kissed her face. Sakura chuckled to herself as the blades of the grass playfully tickled her skin. She gazed up at the blue sky and slowly her eyelids began to close and suddenly she entered a world of darkness.

"Sakura…" the voice echoed in her dreams.

"Sakura this isn't a place to sleep," the voice said irritated and continued, "Wake up!"

Sakura slowly opened her eyelids and found herself staring blankly at a pair of grey eyes. Miu smirked and found a spot next to Sakura to sit at. Sakura slowly got up to sit in a sitting position as she used her hands to balance herself. The aura around them was filled with silence. Their hair danced along with the trees as a breeze swiftly passed by. Sakura grew more and more impatient the quicker time passed by. As soon as she was about to open her mouth and say something, Miu interrupted her.

"There's definitely something wrong with you, Sakura. I don't just mean you falling asleep here at school and oversleeping, but the way you've been acting lately. I know I may not be the soft type who gives out good advice, but if there's something you feel you need to tell me, go ahead. I'm all ears."

Sakura stared at Miu in awe. She kindly smiled at her and wiped the small tears from her eyes. She never knew Miu can be so sensitive and considerate.

"Miu…" she said softly, "Thank you. Well you see…How should I put this? About this dre-"

"Sakura-chan!" a cheerful voice interrupted her, "At last I found you again!"

Both girls jumped in surprised. Sakura laughed nervously and held back the anger and frustration that boiled inside her, while on the other hand Miu gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as they shook violently.

"Why the hell you keep-"

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Sakura-chan!" Jin exclaimed as he interrupted Miu.

Jin kneeled down and smiled passionately at Sakura as he held her hands in his. Sakura blushed slightly as his faced leaned closer to hers. Miu shut her eyes and looked away as she folded her arms.

Jin stopped to some extent and said softly, "Sakura-chan. I can't hold back my feelings any longer. It's time I tell you that I-"

Her pale face blushed bloody red with embarrassment as her stomach growled madly. Jin quickly let go of her hands as Sakura rested her hand on her stomach.

'_I forgot to pack my lunch with all the rush,' _thought Sakura.

Miu opened her eyes and said, "Oi, Sakura. I'm not that hungry so I can-"

"Are you hungry, Sakura-chan? No worries! Here, you can have my own lunch," Jin interjected and gently handed her a lunch box. It was wrapped in a blue silky cloth tied with a simple bow on top.

"This is seriously getting annoying," Miu said in between her gritted teeth as her eyebrows twitched.

Sakura hesitantly accepted the lunch box and gave Jin a genuine warm smile. He blushed slightly, but returned the smile as well.

'_Yes! The more things I do for her, the closer Sakura will gradually begin to accept me, and even more…'_ Jin thought as his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I almost feel sorry for the guy," Miu interrupted Jin's thoughts and stared at a boy surrounded by a bunch of squirming girls.

Sakura suddenly stopped eating and turned her heads towards the direction Miu was looking at. Her cheeks turned bright pink as she saw Sasuke munching quietly and slowly on his food.

He closed his eyes and scrunched his face. He wished they will all just leave him alone and let him be. These girls were too obsessed to understand anyway. They found every bite he took of his food amusing.

'_I probably made a mistake coming here,'_ he thought.

"More than half of the girls of this school seem to like him," stated Jin and focused his attention to Sakura.

"Oh no!" he wailed, "Not you too, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blinked in confusion and shook her head violently.

"It's not like that!" she yelled as she stood bolt upright and clenched her fists.

"In denial, Sakura?" Miu asked mischievously and smirked.

"Miu, not you too!" Sakura whined as she flapped her arms furiously.

'_It's not like that…right? But how come my heart starts beating the instant I see him? Also my cheeks turn warm,_' she thought as she placed her palm on her cheek and stared at the ground.

She looked up to gaze into a pair of dark eyes. She wished she hadn't, though. His cold stare sent shivers up her spine. Even in a bright, warm day, his stare can make someone feel dull and cold. But even at the same time, Sakura felt warm and fuzzy inside. She quickly looked away and wished this day will soon be over.

--

Miu extended her arms forward and cracked her knuckles. She tied her long light brown hair into a high ponytail with a blue ribbon.

"Alright, let's get this over with," she said and grabbed a broom that was beside her.

Sakura did the same and started to sweep the floor along with Miu. Ever since then they haven't said a word. Sakura looked around her and when the coast was clear, she cleared her throat and said, "Haven't you noticed anything strange about the new transferred student?"

Miu was deep in thought and suddenly said, "Not really. Why?"

Sakura sighed and said in a low voice as she looked at the floor, "Nothing."

"Well, sort of," Sakura stopped sweeping as her head jerked up and Miu continued, "He hasn't smiled since he got here."

"Come to think of it…you're right," Sakura said as she held her chin in deep thought and stared at the ground.

"Well enough of this. Let's hurry as fast as we can so we can go to work," Miu stated as she began to sweep the floor furiously.

"Okay…" Sakura said as she sweat dropped.

--

"Welcome! May I take your order?" Sakura said cheerfully to the customer who came in.

'_At least I don't have to worry about bumping into him here,'_ she thought.

"Sakura-san," her manager said as he approached her.

Sakura quickly turned around as she wondered what the manager was going to say to her.

"Starting today we have a new employee. Do you mind helping him out?" he asked as he smiled.

Sakura returned the smile and agreed. She quickly walked up to the counter where her new co-worker was going to be. A stream of sweat slithered down her neck. Her heart skipped a million beats. Her cheeks blushed madly. When she thought she got rid him for the whole day, she was wrong.

The top of his head was covered with a rust-colored cap that read the name of the fast-food restaurant across. He wore a green fabric shirt that reached below his waist and khakis pants that suited him well. He held the same grim expression he had since the beginning of the day. He showed no reaction however of their encounter.

"Sasuke, right? What do you…n-need help o-on?" she stammered as more beads of sweat rolled down her pale face.

"Nothing," he simply said.

"O-okay," she stuttered and quickly spun around. She began to walk away in a fast pace as she still held the same shocked expression. She sighed the moment she lost sight of him.

--

'_Whenever I'm around him…I start to lose my confidence. Why is that?'_ she thought as she leaned in a wall in the locker room.

She shook her head sideways and thought, _'I can't let him make me feel this way. But not only that. The more I see his face, the more I'm convinced I've seen him somewhere before.'_

"This is all so strange…" she murmured softly to herself.

"What is?" Miu asked curiously as she entered the room.

"N-nothing!" she said and laughed nervously.

Miu stared at her curiously, but shrugged and opened her locker room to place her uniform inside. She locked it and quickly bid Sakura goodbye before she left.

--

Darkness conquered the sky. The distant stars shone brightly above the sky. Sakura walked the streets late at night holding her handbag in front of her. Her green eyes showed signs of exhaustion, but she fought it back. She stopped in her tracks as she found a dark hollow alley.

"I'll just take a shortcut," she said as she entered the alley hesitantly.

She slowly walked through the alleys and stopped for she could have sworn she heard footsteps nearby. She looked around her frantically as she clutched her handbag. After a moment of silence, she resumed walking, this time at a faster pace to avoid whatever was out there.

Sakura froze in fear as she heard a small grunt. She spun around quickly but saw nothing, just the darkness. She began to think whether she was becoming paranoid. She tried to calm herself down by thinking happy thoughts, but they were interrupted by more grunts and snickers.

Her eyes widened as a cold, rough hand covered her mouth. Sakura struggled to escape, but stopped when the person who held her let go. Sakura found herself surrounded by a group of delinquents.

"So it's a girl this time who dares to trespass our property," the same man who held Sakura before said as he smirked.

"It would be a shame if we let her go," another man said as he kneeled and slowly lifted Sakura's blue skirt.

Sakura shrieked and slapped the man's hand away. Without a moment to waste she kicked him harshly in his genitals and made a run for it, but stopped when the men prevented her to flee. Sakura slowly backed way as she held her handbag. She trembled violently with fear and only wished for them to leave her alone.

Sakura gathered all her courage and swung her handbag with all her might towards the group of men. She whacked a few across the face and they instantly fell to the ground with a thud. They slowly got up and regained their composure. Their faces scrunched and they growled with fury.

"G-get a-away!" she threatened, "O-or I'll l-let you have it w-with my bag!"

The group of delinquents snickered at Sakura. Anger began to boil inside her body. She clenched her fist and shook with rage. She watched attentively as one of the men approached her slowly. She kept her gaze at him and not dared to look away for a single second. He grabbed her fist with so much force that Sakura winced in pain.

He leaned closer to her ear and hissed, "No one threatens me, the boss."

Suddenly he let go of her hand and curled his fist as he was ready to blow a punch towards Sakura. She closed her eyes and a tear slid down her face. After a few seconds Sakura opened her eyes and gaped at the two before her. The boss struggled as the boy grasped his wrist firmly. Sakura clasped her hands together and gawked at the person who saved her. Under the pale moon's light beam, her eyes widened as she was able to recognize him quickly.

"Sasuke..." she whispered softly.

"Damn it…it's you again, bastard," the boss said in between his teeth.

Sasuke smirked with amusement as he already knew what the results were going to be.

--

**A/N: **Or did he? Sorry it took so long. If you go to my profile and read my journal, you'll see what problem occurred to me. Thanks to each of you guys who reviewed my story. I truly appreciate it. -glomps- I kind of wanted to introduce my OCs a little more throughout this chapter. So what do you think of them? Also, am I going to slow? Was this chapter boring? I had fun writing the alley part. Please leave a review before leaving!! And also, Sakura's feelings towards Sasuke will be a little different in the next chapter. Just to warn you guys. ;) Please R&R!!


	3. Obscure Night

**

* * *

**

.::CHAPTER THREE::.

**OBSCURE NIGHT

* * *

**

His tall figure towered over her. From the corner of his dark eyes he took a quick glance at Sakura and faced his attention towards the group of delinquents before him. The annoyed, scrunched up faces meant nothing to him. The boss growled in frustration at Sasuke and slowly took a step back as he took out his pocket knife. Sasuke slid his hands inside his pockets and stood casually while he showed no concerned whatsoever at what laid in the boss's hands.

Sakura's eyes widened in fear at the sight of the knife. Her eyes gazed at Sasuke's back as she held her clasped hands over her heart. Sakura gasped as the delinquents surrounded them in a circle. She shifted her head from one direction to another and quickly looked at Sasuke in concern. His back still faced her and he hadn't moved an inch since then.

Silence filled the aura around them. Sakura felt her heart race as the boss approached Sasuke. He stopped and sneered at him. Sasuke let out a small grunt.

"Heh, this little pink-hair is your girlfriend?" the boss teased as his eyes laid on Sakura. Shivers went up her spine as he gazed at her. A feeling deep inside Sakura overwhelmed her as the boss stared at her with an abstract desire she couldn't describe.

Sasuke ignored the remark and quickly moved out of the way as the boss flung the knife at him. Sakura screamed as the knife was just inches away from her nose.

"Idiot! The knife almost stabbed me! Why did you move out of the way?!" she yelled in frustration at Sasuke as both her hands curled into balls of fists.

"Well don't just stand there, idiot! Run!" Sasuke retorted as he dodged the blows of the knife aimed directly at him.

Anger boiled inside of Sakura's body. She felt the heat rise inside of her.

"Well I can't run when-" she felt a cold hand over her mouth.

She struggled to free herself and shivered when the man who held her hissed, "You're not going anywhere anymore".

Sasuke averted his attention towards Sakura but winced as he felt a gashing pain through his arm. He placed his hand over the wound and gritted his teeth as the pain shot throughout his body. He looked at his deep, crimson bloody hand and looked at the boss before him. The boss laughed hysterically as he held the bloody knife in his hands. He flung the knife at Sasuke once again, but Sasuke grabbed his wrist with force and twisted it without hesitating as a crack was heard. The boss yelled in agony and frantically struggled himself free. He gaped at his broken wrist before him and trembled with fear. Everyone gawked in awe.

The man who held Sakura quickly let go of her as he reluctantly backed away and stared anxiously at his boss. Sakura gaped aghast at the injured Sasuke before her. Her hands shook violently as memories plagued the back of her mind; memories of the boy covered in blood from her dreams.

'_I don't want to think about it anymore,'_ thought Sakura as tears formed in her eyes.

Slowly everyone began to back away and stopped when their boss yelled, "Bastards! Beat the living hell out of this jerk! Can't you see I'm crippled?!"

The boss cursed as they forsaken and left him standing in pain in an isolated place where two people stood before him.

"Asshole," the boss hissed between his teeth, "you won't get away with this."

He quickly scurried through the alley and soon disappeared out of their sights. Sakura sighed in relief after she recovered from the shock. Her eyebrows quickly furrowed in worry as she stared at Sasuke's wounded arm.

"Why did you save me?" she asked softly.

Sasuke smirked and muttered, "That's what I would like to know too."

Sakura was taken aback by his puzzling answer and pondered over what it meant. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft moan from Sasuke. She quickly ran up to him and squatted down along with him as he grimaced. Her green eyes were filled with worry but she restrained herself from panicking.

"Come," she said strictly as she helped Sasuke regain his composure, "Let's get you fixed."

Hidden in the depths of the shadows her ruby eyes followed their movements as they walked towards the exit of the alley. She stepped out of her hiding place and rested her hands on her hips.

At last she murmured, "Found you".

--

Sakura quickly opened the cabinet and searched everywhere for a white cloth. She moved some bottles that were in the way and her face immediately lit up when she found the cloth. She grabbed it and closed the cabinet shut. Sakura quickly walked up to a room and slid the door opened. Her lips parted as she found a shirtless Sasuke who stood a distance away from her. Sakura slightly blushed and gawked in awe. Sasuke quickly looked at her and sat near a chair.

"Well…" he said impatiently as he bared the pain.

Sakura quickly came back to her senses and said as she quickly walked up to Sasuke, "Oh, right!"

She kneeled before him and grabbed a small white towel beside her. She dipped the towel in a small bucket of water and squeezed it as drops of water dripped. Sasuke watched intently at Sakura's movements. As he waited he looked at the room around him. It was completely empty and isolated. Only the two of them filled the space. The wooden floor creaked as Sakura moved slightly. Four brown walls surrounded them and Sasuke felt as the air was smothering him. He felt an ambiguous strange feeling inside of him. He spotted a picture frame that hung loose on the wall. In it was a picture of a girl their age that had a broad, cheerful smile on her face. Her gold eyes sparkled brilliantly in the picture as she flipped her long amber hair. Sasuke's eyes met Sakura's as she stood before him.

"I bet you're wondering who that girl in the picture was," Sakura said, her voice low and soft.

"Not really," Sasuke said as he looked away.

"That's my sister, Kin. She used to sleep here in this room seven years ago before she…died," she said as she barely uttered the last word and continued, "She wasn't my real sister by blood. My parents adopted her, but I always looked at her as my real sister, despite anything, but anyways…" Sasuke winced as she placed the cold, wet towel over his wound.

"Sorry," Sakura said softly.

"You could be a bit gentler, you know," Sasuke said with a hint of irritation.

Sakura frowned and pressed the towel against his wound hard as she said, "How that's for gentle?"

She chuckled softly as Sasuke winced and moaned in pain. He scowled at her, but his face softened as Sakura gently patted his wound with care. She grabbed the cloth and tenderly wrapped it around his arm.

When she finished she said, "There, all done," she smiled and continued, "This is the least I can do for rescuing me".

"Thanks…" paused Sasuke as his voice trailed off.

"It's Sakura. Haruno Sakura," Sakura filled in for him.

"Yeah…" he said as he showed no interest.

He slowly got up from the chair and said, "It's quiet here".

"My parents are gone for vacation, but I guess ever since my sister died it's been quiet here," Sakura forced a smile and fought back the tears that formed in her eyes.

Sasuke quickly slid his shirt on.

"Your shirt is soaked with blood," said Sakura.

"It's nothing," replied Sasuke as he made his way through the exit of the house and turned the knob as he opened the door.

Before he left the house, he said to Sakura in a low voice, "You're not the only one," and closed the door shut.

Sakura stood baffled at the door, but shook her head sideways and made her way back to the room where she came from. She paused as she entered the room. She crossed her arms and shivered.

"It's cold in here…" she whispered to herself.

Her eyes quickly fixed upon the frame the hung on the wall. She let her arms drop to her sides and walked up to the wall where the frame was. She felt a lump form in her throat. Sakura reach out her arms. Tears began to form in her eyes as she touched the surface of the frame. She stared in despair at the picture before her. Suddenly she broke down crying as she kneeled on the ground.

She held on tight to the frame as she said in between sobs, "Why'd…you have to…leave me…onee-chan?"

--

Sasuke walked casually along the sidewalks of the street. Silence filled him as only his light footsteps reached his ears. His eyes remained shut as thoughts ran across his mind. He stopped in his tracks and slowly lifted up his eyelid.

"What do you want?" he said coldly.

A few feet behind Sasuke stood a tall, slim girl whose ruby eyes glowed in the dark. Her long, raven hair that reached below her waists danced with the wind along with her cloak that reached below her ankles.

She took a few steps forward as her footsteps from her black boots resounded in Sasuke's ears and said, "I've come to take you back, Uchiha Sasuke".

He grunted as he sneered behind the shadows and said, "He's not brave enough to take me back on his own, I see."

"Don't talk lowly of Master," she retorted calmly as she slowly shielded out a sword, "I won't hesitate, Uchiha. Even if I have to do so, I'll take you by force."

"You're nothing more, but an orphan like me. We're free to do whatever we like," Sasuke said as he turned around to face her. His expression remained calm, though his gaze fell upon her long, silvery sword. The moon's pale light glimmered among the sword that shone brightly.

"The sword you shielded before me…its power increases only when a full moon is out," Sasuke said coolly and looked up to lock eyes with her.

"Huh, Suzume, was it?" he said as he smirked.

"Yes, the name's Suzume. But let's not keep this introduction for long," she disappeared in a blink of an eye, "You're coming with me."

She stood behind him as she placed the sword before his neck. Her eyes remained half closed as she stared at Sasuke expressionless. Her eyes fell upon his arm covered with a white cloth.

"Why'd you let yourself get hurt?" she asked emotionless.

Sasuke smirked and replied, "I couldn't let anyone find out about my secret."

"Secret, huh? Does this secret have to do anything with why you left?"

"Somewhat. The real reason why I left…was to kill _him_," he said as he hissed the last word. Memories traced back in her mind as soon as she met Sasuke's piercing, dark eyes filled with anger and hatred.

--

"_Sasuke is a heavy opponent to go against to," a deep, low voice said behind the shadows._

"_Yes, I know Master," Suzume replied as she kneeled before him._

"_Even with your sword that becomes most powerful when a full moon is out, you won't stand a chance," the voice said soberly._

"_Yes, Master. Uchiha went against the rules so he shall be punished. That's why I want to bring him back. Please, Master, let me handle the mission," she said as her voice remained serious. She slowly bowed before her master as her long, raven hair scattered on the floor. _

"_Very well," Suzume's head jerked up and the voice continued, "Let me warn you. Sasuke will not back down." _

"_Thanks for the warning," Suzume said as she smirked and slowly walked away while holding tight to the handle of her sword._

--

"I won't back down either, Uchiha," Suzume said as she flung the sword towards Sasuke.

The sword roughly smashed against the ground. The collision cause the floor to crack open as cement rocks flew out from below. Suzume cursed as she glared at Sasuke who floated beneath the ground before her. She ran across the sidewalk, bended her knees and bounced up in the air. She flung her sword at Sasuke and missed as it swooshed in the thin air.

Suzume's feet reached the bare ground and she quickly darted towards Sasuke at full speed. She yelled in anger and cursed as she missed again.

"It's no use," his distant voice said as he stood on top of a street light. He smirked before quickly disappearing out of her sight. Suzume's eyes widened as a bead of sweat ran down her face.

"Your speed can't simply match mine," he murmured in a faint tone.

Suzume softly moaned in pain as he knocked her down. She collapsed on the cold ground immobilized. She struggled to get back on her feet, but the pain was too much to bear.

She hissed in between her gritted teeth, "How did you attack without a weapon?"

"Oh," he said teasingly and continued, "I guess _he_ didn't tell you. I have the Sharingan. I don't need a weapon, because the Sharingan _is_ my weapon."

He took a step forward to reveal a pair of deep, crimson red eyes with three black dots that circled around his pupil. Suzume's eyes widened as she stared in awe shock.

"I guess this is the first time you've ever encountered the Sharingan. You're no match for it," Sasuke said as he turned his back towards her and walked away slowly.

"Wait…" she winced and continued, "Wait, Uchiha."

Sasuke simply ignored her and continued to walk away from her.

"Damn you…Uchiha!" she yelled enraged as she struggled to squirm against the ground to reach him, but it was too late; he was already out of her sight, too far to reach.

"I couldn't keep a promise after all. Forgive me, Master," she said morosely as she shut her eyelids and entered a world of darkness.

--

**A/N:** First of all, thanks to all who reviewed in the previous chapters. I truly appreciate it. :)

**NEW OC:**

Suzume -17

You don't have to necessarily let me know what you think of her _yet._ If you had any favorite parts to this chapter, please let me know. Constructive criticism is** HIGHLY** recommended. I promise this story will get better further on. Hehe, this story is barely getting started, though. lol Please review and let me know what your thoughts on this chapter are. Thank you!! Oh, and like I warned you guys, Sakura's feelings towards Sasuke is a little different in my story. XD


	4. Rival

**

* * *

**

A Thousand Secrets Whispered to the Night

* * *

**.::CHAPTER FOUR::.**

**RIVAL

* * *

**

Many thoughts swirled Suzume's mind. She kneeled before the man hidden beneath the depths of the shadows. She bowed her head down in despair as her raven hair fell loosely beneath her shoulders. Contradicting feelings bottled up inside of her. She continuously fought them, but failed as tears formed in her ruby eyes. Suzume leaned her head closer towards the ground so the back of her head faced the Master.

A small sigh escaped her pale, thin lips. Her eyes immediately shot up when her master's voice vibrated throughout her ears. Hear head still hung low in disgrace and she hadn't dared look at him in the eye.

"Suzume…you failed me," his voice was firm.

Like being stabbed in the heart with the bare blade of a knife, his words stung her and the pain was too much to bear for Suzume. The last thing she wanted to hear from her master was that she failed him. She felt a lump form in her throat.

'_Shit! I can't cry here,'_ she gritted her teeth as she fought back the tears.

"It was stubborn of you to go against an Uchiha," he continued as his voice remained solid and calm.

Suzume was too afraid to show her master her true emotions; what she truly felt inside. No, she wouldn't prove to him how weak she can be. She slowly lifted her head up until she faced him. Her ruby eyes were fixed upon the figure that was shrouded in the darkness. Her pale face was completely stoic and free of expressions.

At last she murmured softly, "I know. I understand I underestimated Uchiha, but if you can only give me another chance, I-"

"I've already assigned someone else to complete the mission," he intervened.

Suzume's eyes widened as her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. She felt the heat rise and the blood boil inside of her. A deep wound formed beneath the bottom her heart that she couldn't heal knowing her master depended on someone else other than her to do the mission.

She stood bolt upright as she resisted, "But Master! This mission was assigned to me! It is my duty to complete it."

"If I recall, you volunteered on your own free will. I never forced you, Suzume."

"That's right," said a high-pitched voice out of nowhere and continued, "You're always finding ways to satisfy Master."

Her footsteps resounded louder as she approached Suzume slowly. A pair of violet eyes gazed upon her back as she smiled mischievously. Her dark pink pigtails swayed back and forth as she skipped and stopped when she was inches away from Suzume.

"You're just as weak as always, Suzu-chan," she said as she giggled and continued, "You'll never satisfy Master with your lack of strength."

Suzume clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She quickly spun around and hastily took out her sword as she hissed between her teeth, "Miki-teme!"

Without hesitating she launched her sword directly towards Miki, but gasped when she quickly bounced up and somersaulted freely in the air. She landed tiptoed on the ground and bowed before Suzume. Miki looked up to face her and grinned when she saw the angry expression on Suzume's face.

"You flat-chested bitch! You won't get away with it!" she yelled out in rage as she steadied her sword and swung it towards Miki again.

Deep crimson drops of blood spilled on the floor one by one. Suzume's eyes quickly shifted to the man who stood before her. Her eyes widened in horror as she softly called out, "Master…"

A pair of piercing ice-blue eyes gazed at her. A dark hood hovered over his head. His solid expression showed no signs of pain. He simply stood there as if nothing happened. He quickly glanced at the injury on his arm. His dark sleeve was covered with fresh blood. He shifted his attention towards the frightened Suzume.

"This wound will heal soon," he reassured her and continued, "I'm immortal. No wounds or injuries will kill me no matter how many times I get hit. It'll heal despite how severe it is."

Suzume watched intently as the injury healed itself. His arm glowed a faint white light as the healing took place and quickly faded away when it was done. She was surprised to find the wound has completely disappeared.

Her eyes fell upon his face and when their eyes met, she quickly looked at the ground as she muttered, "Why did you…" she quickly looked up as her eyes faced Miki and continued, "Why did you protect this brat! I almost had her!"

"Suzume!" he shouted, his voice rather annoyed.

"It's time you stop this nonsense," he said calmly and continued, "Your behavior and actions are disappointing me."

He turned and slowly began to walk away. His stopped in his tracks when he was inches away from Miki and uttered, "I trust you not to fail this mission."

A wide smile formed in her face and she said cheerfully, "I promise I won't fail this mission, Master."

He walked away and soon disappeared out of their sights. Miki quickly turned around to face Suzume and giggled as she stuck out her pink tongue at her. Suzume restrained herself from doing anything to her and watched as she quickly skipped away and chanted a playful melody that quickly died out when she closed the door shut. Suzume stood there alone and isolated in the darkness. She fought back the tears, but failed. She cursed at herself as a tear slid down her pale cheek.

--

Streams of tears ran down the little girl's face. She sobbed as she struggled to get her doll that was covered with dirt from the man who held it. He held it beyond her head and teased her as she begged for it back. His hair was tied back in a small black ponytail and the top of his head was covered with a plain dark blue bandana. She recognized right away he was one of the delinquents who always picked on little orphans like her. She hunched back in fear when she saw the amusement on his dark eyes.

"Please give it back. It's the only memory I have of my parents," the little girl said as her bright green eyes plagued with more tears.

She stretched her arms out and jumped to grab her doll, but compared to the tall man who stood before her, she was too small to reach. She collapsed on the ground as the man flicked her forehead. He laughed, but it quickly died away when he felt a slight pain in his leg. He slowly looked down to meet a pair of almond eyes filled with anger.

"Give it back, you bastard!" said the boy as he kicked him again.

The delinquent grinned as he grabbed the boy's dark hair. The boy winced in pain and gritted his teeth as he fought back the pain.

"Kaito!" yelled out the girl as her eyes widened in fear.

The delinquent sneered and threw the boy harshly a distance away from him. He landed flat on the ground as he coughed in agony. The little girl quickly ran to Kaito and kneeled before him. She helped him stand up as he struggled to. A small stream of blood slithered down his mouth. Kaito's worn out face scrunched as he boiled with anger deep inside. The little girl stared anxiously at Kaito as he faced her and placed his hand on top of her hair.

He caressed her auburn hair and softly murmured, "Don't worry. I'll get your doll back, Kana. I won't let that bastard take your precious treasure away from you."

He shot his eyes directly at the delinquent who stood a few feet away from them. He dashed at full speed towards him as he roared in fury. Kaito launched a punch as soon as he reached him, but his eyes widened in shock when he disappeared out of thin air.

"Kaito! Behind you!" yelled out Kana desperately, but it was too late.

He fell hard on the ground as the delinquent kicked him harshly in the back. Kana cried out his name as she sobbed hysterically. She stood there immobilized by fear. Her mind told her to run to his side, but her feet told her otherwise.

She stood frozen at the spot as the delinquent approached her slowly with a smirk on his face. He clutched the doll on his hand firmly when he saw the pain in the girl's eyes. Dried tears stained her face. She shook her head violently as she shrieked for help.

"Miki-Miki kick!" a squeaky voice shouted from a distance as she came out of nowhere and launched a kick at the delinquent while she flew in the air. The delinquent slightly blushed and giggled goofily when he saw below her short blue skirt. Miki frowned, spun in the air and kicked him brutally on the face. He landed flat on the ground and winced in agony. Miki casually landed on the ground with the tip of her toe. She smiled at the frightened girl who stood shivering a distance away from her.

Miki stood before the unconscious man and kneeled down as she snatched the doll away from him. She stuck out her tongue and giggled. Miki quickly stood, turned around and walked towards Kana who now kneeled beside Kaito and sobbed in despair at her hurt friend.

"Here," Miki said softly as she handed the doll to Kana. She hesitantly reached out her arm and clutched on her doll tightly. She hugged her doll and sobbed softly as she shut her eyes. Kana opened her eyes and smiled brightly at her. Miki returned the smile, but quickly averted her attention towards the boy who laid unconscious on the ground. She turned his body gently.

Miki observed him cautiously and looked at Kana as she said with a smile, "Don't worry. He'll wake up any minute, okay?"

Kana nodded her head and said cheerfully, "Thank you, nee-chan!"

Miki stood up and said as she placed her fist on her chest, "No problem. It is my duty to make sure children don't get bullied by mean, scary people."

"You're so cool, nee-chan!" Kana said in amazement as her eyes shined.

Miki giggled softly and she said while she walked away and waved, "Well, take care!"

--

Sakura frantically looked around the hallway. She sighed in relief when Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Since the night he saved her, she couldn't bring herself to thank Sasuke. She healed his wound, but Sakura still thought that wasn't enough. Besides whenever she was around him, her heart will race drastically.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Miu said anxiously as she rested her hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Miu!" Sakura said as she jumped in surprise.

Jin who stood behind Miu waved and flashed a bright a smile at her. Sakura returned the smile, but quickly looked around her. She was oblivious to the fact that people stared at her as they passed by.

"Sakura, you know you're the center of attention right now, do you?" Miu slammed her hand on her forehead and sighed.

Everyone stopped looking at Sakura and quickly turned their heads towards the entrance of the school. The boys leaned against the lockers as the girl who entered through the door made her way through. Her black boots resounded against the walls of the school as she walked. Boys gawked at her as she passed by and drooled as she caught a glimpse of them.

"She's pretty…" whispered Jin softly, but changed his mind when Miu shot him a deadly glance, "But she's nothing compared to Sakura. I mean, she hardly has any boobs-"

A huge bump formed on the top of Jin's head when Miki punched him harshly. She clenched her fists and twitched as she said, "What did you say about me?"

Her face softened and she smiled as she said to Sakura, "Hello. I'm Miki. Do you happen to know Sasuke? He's my boyfriend, but I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Perhaps he's hiding from you," Sakura muttered in between her teeth.

"Huh?" asked a dumbfounded Miki.

"Perhaps you haven't look everywhere," Sakura said in a cheerful voice and continued, "I don't know of a Sasuke who comes here, so sorry I can't help you."

"It's okay. Well, see ya!" she waved and walked away.

'_Cha! Curse that girl Miki! Bleh. Hope you never find him!'_ inner Sakura thought as clenched her fists and stuck out her tongue.

"Uh…Sakura-chan. Why did you just lie to Miki-chan?" asked Jin as he laughed nervously.

"At times like this it's best we keep our distance from Sakura," Miu turned and walked away.

"Sakura…chan…noooo!!" his voice drifted off as Miu dragged him away. He reached his arms out to Sakura as tears streamed down his face, but Miu turned the corner and disappeared.

--

Sasuke rinsed his hands thoroughly with soap and water. He sensed a presence other than him in the bathroom. He quickly turned around, but noticed no one was there. He returned to wash his hands and saw a figure in the window in front of him swiftly pass by. He turned around and made his way to where the paper towels were at. He heard a playful giggle from behind. From his peripheral vision he tried to spot the mysterious figure, but failed when he felt a girl collapse in his arms.

"Sasuke-kun!" Miki said as she buried her head on his white shirt.

"M-Miki! What the hell are you doing here?!" he yelled as he struggled to push her away.

She held on tight as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I came to see you, silly," she said in a playful tone. Her voice got serious when she said, "And to take you back as I was ordered to."

"Idiot. That's not what I meant. What I meant was what you are doing _here_ in the men's restroom?!" he finally managed to get her off of him.

"I couldn't find you anywhere in the school, so I figured you'd-be-here?" she said as she flicked his nose softly.

"What'd you do that for?" he asked annoyed.

"Well you had me worried sick ever since you left. I thought it'd be best if I taught you a little lesson," she pouted as fake tears formed in her violet eyes.

Sasuke looked away with his eyes shut.

"Leave," he said coldly and continued, "You'll never take me back. I thought I made that clear to Suzume."

"But the Master said you're the strongest among us. Come back and we'll help you with your vengeance," a smirked appeared on her face.

Sasuke snickered and opened his eyes as he faced Miki. She thought she convinced him, but she was wrong. His eyes were dark; filled with pure hatred.

He said in a low voice, "Only I can kill him."

Miki stomped her foot on the ground as she whined, "You always want to do things by yourself! You never need my help," she punched him on his chest and continued, "You think you're better than anyone, am I right? You're too good for out team, that's why you won't come back. Well we don't need you-"

He placed his finger on her lips. When Miki didn't say anymore, he made his way through the exist of the restroom without her.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun!" Miki called out as she rushed her way outside.

--

Sakura clutched her pencil. A snap noise was heard when it broke in half. She gritted her teeth as her eyes were filled with fire. Though she didn't know the reason behind it all, she envied seeing the both of them together. She denied she had any feelings for Sasuke, yet she felt her muscles tense whenever Miki wrapped her arms around him.

"Look at it at the bright side," Sakura murmured to herself and continued, "He doesn't seem to be enjoying anything at all."

When Sasuke finally managed to push her away, Sakura went back to studying with the broken pencil she held in her hand. She quickly looked up when she heard Miki giggle and squinted her eyes to get a better view of the two of them.

"Get away from me!" she managed to hear him say.

"But Sasuke-kun!" Miki whined as she continued, "You promised we'd never separate ever again!"

"When the hell did I say that?!" asked an enraged Sasuke.

"You don't remember?"

"Of course not! I never said anything like that!"

"Hehe," Sakura went back to work with a big grin on her face.

"What's so funny, Sakura-chan?" Jin appeared out of nowhere and flashed a bright smile.

Sakura was oblivious to the fact that she wasn't alone anymore and said, "I love how he treats her."

"Who treats who in what way?" Jin asked curiously as he sat beside Sakura.

"Sasu-" she slowly turned her head sideways until her eyes met Jin's. She hadn't realized until now she had been talking to him. She was too busy in her other world to sense his presence near her.

"J-Jin!" she stammered as beads of sweat ran down her face.

"S-Sakura chan!" he cried as tears ran down his cheeks, "I understand perfectly. You prefer him over me. I guess this is goodbye."

Sakura sat there baffled by his words. Though Sakura showed signs of concern, deep down she was glad to hear he won't be bothering her anymore.

She patted him gently in his back as he sobbed.

"There, there," she said nervously and continued, "There are plenty of girls out there for you."

An idea popped in her mind as her eyes shot up.

"Like…Miki for example. She deserves someone as great as you, right?" she tried to comfort and convince him at the same time.

"But-but she's nothing like you at all!" he resisted.

"I'm sure she is," she said rather not convinced herself.

'_Cha! She's nothing like me at all!_' inner Sakura thought.

Miki quickly wiped her nose after she sneezed slightly. She looked around her and spotted a pink-haired girl sitting on a table next to a black-haired boy. She squinted her eyes and smiled when she recognized the girl from earlier that day. Miki skipped her way towards them with a big grin on her face.

"Speaking of Miki…here she comes," whispered Jin as he gawked at her.

"Hi there!" said Miki joyfully.

Sakura's eyes darted towards Miki. A frown appeared on her face as soon as she saw her standing before them. She restrained herself from saying anything insulting to her and forced a smile on her face.

"Hi," Sakura said.

"You're the girl from earlier, right? Starting today I'll be your newest classmate," she reached out her hand towards Sakura, "I'd love to be friends with you."

Sakura stared at her hand dumbfounded and took it firmly as she slowly shook it. She smiled at Miki as she replied, "I'd love to be friends with you too."

* * *

**A/N:** I accomplished my goal! To write two more pages on Word and so that explains why this chapter is longer. XD Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! Seriously, I DO get happy when you guys review. So in the beginning you guys were probably thinking where the hell is Sakura and Sasuke, and sadly there was no interaction between the two of them in this chapter, but I'll make it up in the next chapter. I promise so please don't leave me!! -sniff- 

http//www. deviant art. com /deviation/ 55166523/ Miu (I drew her XD) Without the spaces, please. :) Don't forget the two semicolons after http!!

**NEW OC**:

Miki -16

Hate her all you want you Sasuke fangirls. XD But I still love my OC. -huggles- A fact about me: I used to be a Sasuke fangirl, but it all died out when I noticed what great of a ninja Naruto is!! Not when he left the team. I still loved him then and cried for him to come back, like Sakura, but then I ran out of tears. lol

And not so much of a cliffy. I know how much you guys hate cliffhangers. But I'm an authoress who LOVES writing cliffhangers…not reading them, though. Makes me SO MAD!! lol And so make sure you review before you exit this window. Thanks for reading!!

P.S. Reason Miki sneezed is b/c inner Sakura was talking about her. XD Who doesn't love inner Sakura? I miss her. Haha.


	5. Tears

**

* * *

**

.::CHAPTER 5::.

**TEARS

* * *

**

The cold atmosphere filled the air which sent shivers up Sakura's spine. She stared blankly at the wooden desk before her. Thoughts inundated her mind and she slowly shut her emerald eyes. Sakura sighed deeply and opened her eyes to stare out the window. She rested her cheek on the palm of her hand and gazed up at the pink sky which blended in with shades of orange and yellow. She watched intently as birds soared through the sky. Her lips lifted a smile on her face when she heard the merry laughs of children in the streets. Her face became solemn again when memories crossed her mind.

--

_Sakura stirred in her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes by the sound of distant footsteps. She blinked a few times before slowly lifting herself up in a sitting position. She stretched her arms out and let out a soft yawn. Sakura listened intently as murmurs were heard from downstairs. There was no one, but her in the house. She felt her heart race, begging to jump out of her chest. She placed her hand over her heart. Quickly, she got off of her bed, her heart still banging loudly against her chest. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck. _

_Hesitantly, she slowly got off of her bed. Sakura casually walked and stopped when she reached the door of her room. She gulped as she reluctantly turned the knob and cautiously opened the door without making any noise. She shivered as she walked the hallways, being aware of her surroundings. When she reached the stairs that led to the first floor, she stood there, pondering whether she should head back or not. Sakura built up all her courage and placed her foot on the first step. _

"_What do we do now that she has been spotted?" a woman around her mid-thirties softly whispered. Her dark blue eyes were fixed upon the tall man around her age who stood before her. _

_The man was pensive on his thoughts and stroke his chin as he said, "I don't know. We've been researching for her whereabouts, but now that we have an idea where she could be, we can't help, but go after her." _

_He looked at her, his face calm, but his emerald eyes filled with worry. The woman quickly looked away and took a seat nearby on a couch. She placed her hands over her face and started to sob softly. The man sat beside her and pulled her into an embrace as he caressed her silky, long pink hair and softly murmured words of comfort. _

--

_Sakura stopped when she heard the soft weeping of a woman. Her eyes bulged when she recognized the faint crying. When she reached the last step of the stairs, she quickly turned the corner and reached the living room. _

"_How long are we going to keep this secret from Sakura?" the woman said as her voice croaked. _

_There she found her mother in the arms of her father. Both of her parents immediately looked up. Tears stained her mother's pale face. She quickly wiped them away and forced a smile. Her father quickly let go of her mother and stood up. His firm gaze fell upon Sakura, which made her feel a bit uneasy. _

"_Mom…Dad…," Sakura barely managed to say._

_A tense feeling rose inside of Sakura. The last time she ever saw her mother cry was when her sister Kin died. Many thoughts circled her mind. She gazed into her mother's eyes. Her mother simply smiled at her again and gathered her into a warm hug when she approached her._

"_Well, aren't you going to welcome us back, Sakura?" her mother said cheerfully as they departed from their embrace. Her mother's eyes bounced with new joy. Sakura gawked at her, confused of her sudden change of behavior. _

"_Welcome home," she uttered._

_An overwhelming feeling circled Sakura. Although her mother seemed happy to see her, deep inside she knew her mother suffered a sorrowful feeling. She tried her best to hide it behind that joyful smile of hers, but Sakura knew better. It was almost as if Sakura had the ability to connect with other people's feelings, and once that happened, she couldn't help, but feel the same way. _

_With her father's presence near her, Sakura didn't dare to open her mouth to ask what they were talking about. His stern face sent shivers up her spine. She bowed her head at both her parents and quickly scurried to her room and closed the door shut. _

_Suddenly Sakura found herself wide awake. Whenever she shut her eyes, she thought back of her parents who were into each others' arms and her mother, who cried in despair. Then she thought back when her mother mentioned a secret that Sakura knew well she should know of. When her mother asked her father if she should know of it, Sakura entered the room, unable to hear her father's response. Tired with so many thoughts that swirled her mind, Sakura slowly shut her eyes and entered a world filled with dreams of herself and Kin chasing each other in vast planes of bright green grass and suddenly her sister disappearing into thin air. _

--

Sakura buried her face between her arms. She wished she would have heard what her parents were talking about. Their voices were serious and they stopped talking when she entered the living room. Probably what they would have been talking about was something Sakura herself couldn't know about.

'_But what?'_ Sakura asked herself.

Her mother had been crying that night. She had never seen her in tears since Kin departed. She slammed her fist hard on the table. She felt tears form in her eyes, but she quickly fought them back.

"Now's not the time to cry," she whispered.

Sakura remembered back when she was a small child. Her parents have been discussing about something the night Kin died, but for as much Sakura eavesdropped, she couldn't make out the words. She had forgotten about that day, until now that it happened again. That night her parents have told her Kin died. That night was when Sakura, for the very first time, felt empty and isolated inside. Even though her mother held her in her arms and told her words of comfort, Sakura still felt a deep hole within her. But Sakura doesn't remember attending a funeral seven years ago. It all seemed peculiar to her. Since then they haven't talked about her sister's death. She shivered at the thought of her sister, her body already decayed inside a coffin, her bones only remaining.

She held her head and murmured to herself, "I don't want to think about it anymore".

--

Sasuke walked casually along the hallways of the school. He slid his hands inside his pockets and headed to the direction where he felt the strange aura coming from. He felt a deep feeling of sadness inside of him, although he himself was not depressed. The feeling overwhelmed him and he had to find out where it was coming from. He thought back to the conversation he had with Miki earlier.

_Sasuke struggled to get Miki off of his chest. She held on tight to his shirt as she complained how Sasuke could be so cruel sometimes. Finally Sasuke managed to get Miki off of him. She looked directly into his eyes, her face serious. _

"_Have you noticed, Sasuke-kun?" she asked as she looked off into the distance._

"_About what?" he asked._

"_Sakura…that girl isn't just an ordinary girl," she looked at him and continued, "Something about her isn't just right. It's hard to explain. I've never experienced that feeling before, until the day I met her, which is why I approached her."_

"_Yeah…I've felt it too," he said and started to walk away._

"_Wait! Where are you going, Sasuke-kun?" Miki asked, but it was too late. He disappeared out of her sight. Miki stuck out her tongue at the air and stomped away as she muttered about how all boys are the same._

He stopped in his tracks when he felt his heart race madly. The strange aura flowed within the classroom he stood beside to. As he approached the room, the aura got stronger and powerful each second that passed. He turned the knob slightly and opened the door without hesitating.

Sakura's head shot up and she found herself gazing into a pair of dark eyes.

'_At a time like this…'_ Sakura thought.

She stood bolt upright and clenched her fists. Sasuke chose the bad timing to interrupt her thoughts. His stoic expression made her angrier each second that passed. She couldn't understand how he can hold the same grim expression every time they encountered each other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Silence filled the air. Sakura was beginning to lose her patience. When she opened her mouth to say something, Sasuke interrupted.

"I can feel you."

Sakura felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

She blushed slightly and stammered, "W-what do you mean you can feel me?"

"You're sad about something. Though I don't care why, just know you're also affecting others."

"Have you been stalking me?" she yelled, her face inches apart from Sasuke's when she approached him.

"No," he simply said and continued, "Even with those eyes, anyone can tell."

Sasuke firmly held Sakura's wrist as she attempted to slap him. Sakura couldn't understand why she was feeling angry at the moment neither why she wanted to hit Sasuke. She was afraid to let out her emotions. She feared others would know when she felt sad. Even the day after her sister died, she hid that frown with a smile at school. She also couldn't understand how Sasuke knew what she felt.

All this time, Sakura hid herself with a mask. No one knows, but her who she truly is inside. She pretended to be what she's not and pretended to feel what she was not feeling. She felt ashamed Sasuke saw this other side of her.

"Let go of me," she hissed between her teeth.

Before Sakura made it out of the classroom, Sasuke murmured, "You're no ordinary girl."

Without another word said, Sakura stomped away, angered and raged by everything, especially Sasuke who decided to interfere with her thoughts and feelings, because he couldn't be considerate about anyone's feelings at all.

--

Jin touched the surface of the black piano before him. His sapphire eyes fell upon the keys. He reached out a finger and pressed one of the keys. He smiled to himself and sat on the bench. He sighed and slowly put both hands forth and with his fingers began to play on the piano freely. He stifled a small giggle as the melody warmed his soul. With years of practice, it sure paid off.

The soft melody of the piano filled Miu's ears. She walked the hallways, humming along with the tune. She was curious to find out who was playing the piano and knew the same song as her. She held the song dearly to her heart and still remembered the lyrics clearly. She quickened her pace and stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the melody coming from the music room.

"Of course! Where else could it be coming from?" she said as she approached the door.

Playing the piano always lightened Jin's heart. It was his passion. It always washed away all his pain and worries. The lyrics of the song just amazed him, which is why he can't stop from playing the melody of the song on the piano.

_Ate mo naku samayotte ita _I was wandering without a destination

_Tegakari mo naku sagashi tsuzuketa _I continued to search without any clues

Her voice was sweet and comforting. It lifted Jin's spirit the moment the girl chanted the first word. He suddenly stopped and abruptly turned around. Miu's grey eyes danced with joy and he couldn't help, but blush. He turned around and stared at the keys of the piano. He heard Miu's footsteps approach him and he jumped in surprise when her face was inches away from him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I uh…was just surprised that you knew this song too," Jin managed to say after a few moments of silence.

"Me too…which is why I even came here in the first place," she took a seat beside Jin and stared off into the distance.

Jin suddenly felt awkward around her. Why was it until now that he suddenly felt butterflies inside his stomach when she entered the room? It was her voice. His heart leaped with joy the moment he heard her sing. He was shocked to find out it was Miu who had such a beautiful voice.

"My mom used to sing me this song when I was little," Miu said softly when she stared blankly at the keys of the piano.

Jin averted his gaze towards Miu. He quickly looked away when Miu looked at him back. She raised an eyebrow in confusion and stared at the piano again.

Finally she managed to say, "Well, don't stop. Keep on playing."

Her presence made him feel awkward, but at the same time he felt happy inside knowing he wasn't alone. He shut his eyes and smiled to himself. He felt two tender hands touch his and he quickly opened his eyes.

"Don't tell me you forgot how to play," Miu teased as she placed Jin's hands on the piano and used his fingers to press the keys.

"I-I know how to play!" his cheeks rose into the color of bright pink and quickly he resumed playing the piano were he last left off.

Miu shut her eyes and began to hum softly. She opened her mouth and began to chant the lyrics of the song. Jin smiled, amazed by her voice.

_Anata ga kureta omoide o _Making the memories you gave to me

_Kokoro o iyasu uta ni shite _into a song to heal my heart

_Yakusoku mo suru koto mo naku _The days when, without making any

promises,

_Kawasu kotoba mo kimetari mo sezu_ without exchanging words or consciously

deciding,

_Dakishime soshite tashikameta_ you embraced me and sought me out;

_Hibi wa nido to kaeranu_ those days will never return

--

The beams of the sun welcomed Sakura's day. She fluttered her emerald eyes open and smiled as birds chirped outside her window. Her eyes shot completely open when she heard the sound of an object shatter. She sighed and slammed the palm of her hand on her forehead. She had completely forgotten what happened last night when she got home and regrets remembering.

_Sakura slipped in a pair of light green slippers after she took off her shoes. She closed the door behind her shut. Sakura decided to greet her parents before making her way to her bedroom. She jumped back in surprise when she met a pair of violet cheerful eyes._

"_Welcome home, Sakura-chan!" Miki said as she flashed her a bright smile._

_Both of Sakura's parents stood behind Miki. Her mother waved at her and smiled nervously, while her father crossed his arms and held a stern gaze at her. _

"_W-what are you doing here, Miki?" Sakura nearly shouted as she pointed an accusing finger at Miki._

_'_**_Cha! You better have a good explanation, Miki!'_ **_thought inner Sakura. _

"_Well, _Sasuke_ was so cruel to leave me in the streets with no shelter and no food. And since I thought Sakura wouldn't mind, I decided to crash in for the night…or maybe a few days, or weeks," she twiddled with her fingers and giggled._

_Sakura looked at her mother who just simply shrugged. She avoided eye contact with her father and averted her gaze at Miki and smiled at her._

"_Of course I'll let you stay for the night," she said sweetly._

_'**Right after this night you're outta here!**' thought inner Sakura._

"_Thanks!" Miki said as she gathered her in a hug and turned towards Sakura's parents. _

_She said as she bowed, "Thank you Ms. Haruno and Mr. Haruno."_

_Ms. Haruno smiled and said, "Sakura, please lead her to the room."_

_Sakura stared blankly at the floor. It disgusted her the way her mother addressed her sister's room as if no one ever slept there before. What hurt her more was that Miki was going to take Kin's place in the room. Although it was silly, Sakura used to always leave the door wide open to Kin's room in case she ever came back home to surprise them and tell them she was not dead. She didn't want to accept her sister's death. She thought it was impossible for Kin to disappear. She was a strong, beautiful girl whom everyone admired, especially Sakura. It was hard to let her go._

_Sakura quickly led Miki to the hallways and finally reached the room. When they entered it, Miki looked around at the four wooden walls that surrounded her. Her gaze fell upon the frame attached on one of the walls. She approached it and touched the surface of the frame. _

"_She's pretty," she whispered and carefully took the frame of off the nail from where it hung from. _

"_Ne, Sakura-chan. Is she your sister?" asked Miki._

"_Yeah...," Sakura replied, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes, half closed, stared at the wooden floor. _

"_So where is she? I bet she's off to college. She seems like a bright girl. Ne, Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan?" she said and quickly looked at Sakura._

_Sakura knew better than to show her tears to anyone, but she couldn't help herself. Tears slithered down her cheeks and stain the floor. Miki stared anxiously at Sakura and slowly walked up to her. _

_She hugged her tightly and said, "Sorry. I should have known." _

_When she heard the last soft sob, Miki let go of Sakura and smiled warmly at her. Sakura forced a smile back. _

"_All this time…I have been so alone," said Sakura after she wiped her tears away and continued, "But I…"_

_Her friends popped in her mind and she smiled to herself. Happy memories she shared with them, with Miu and Jin, filled her mind. Her heart leaped with joy the moment she thought of them. _

"_I have friends who never leave me sight no matter what." _

"_Right!" Miki said as she punched her fist in the air. _

_'**Miki…I'm sorry I ever doubted you,'** thought Sakura._

"_But," Miki said as she placed her finger forward. "I saw the way you were looking at me and Sasuke earlier. This battle has just begun. I won't give Sasuke to you so easily."_

"_What?" shouted Sakura as she blushed. _

_Miki placed the frame where she first got it from and said without looking back, "I'll admit it. I'm not Sasuke's girlfriend. I don't think he ever had one his whole life, seeing how he's not interested in them, but I still love him anyways and I'll convince him to marry me one day by winning his heart."_

"_Ha! Don't make me laugh, Miki," Sakura said sarcastically._

"_So I see. This is your true self," she said when she turned around and continued, "This Sakura seems a lot more fun than the one I met earlier."_

_Miki smiled at her and Sakura couldn't help, but smile back. From now on, she's not going to pretend anymore. From now on she's going to be herself. Only around Miki, that is.  
_

--

Sakura's jaw dropped loosely when she entered the kitchen. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her kitchen was a mess. Pieces of shattered plates were scattered on the floor; eggshells on the sink when they should be in the trash; milk spilled everywhere on the wooden table; burnt bread on the toaster; grains of steamed rice in various areas of the kitchen. The list can go on and on.

Sakura sighed deeply and slammed her forehead hard. Miki smiled at her nervously and shrugged.

"I've never used the kitchen before," said Miki innocently.

Sakura glared at her for a few seconds, sighed, and left the kitchen to get herself ready for school.

"Hey! I can use a little bit of help over here!" Miki shouted as she folded her arms.

"If you were able to make this mess, you can clean it up yourself," shouted Sakura. Miki stood there for a few seconds, grunted and went back to work on the kitchen, mumbling about how she didn't like the new Sakura anymore.

--

Two mysterious figures stood on the cliff of a mountain, looking off into the distance where the vast cities of Tokyo were sited. Their dark, long cloaks swayed as a gust of wind swiftly swept by. The sun had risen and the rays of the sun beamed on the two individuals, revealing a man with a short ponytail on the back and woman whose long, auburn hair glittered with the sun.

After a few moments of silence, the woman, without turning to face him, said, "We're finally here."

The man nodded in agreement and said, "I know. I've been waiting for so long."

They both soared in the cloudless sky and bounced on huge grey rocks until they disappeared, leaving the area completely isolated.

--

A tall man around his mid-twenties leaned his slim figure casually against a dark wall and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. He slowly opened his eyelids and revealed a pair of amber brown eyes. His eyes quickly darted towards Suzume who stood a few feet away from him and then to the master who had just entered the dim room.

"They have arrived Tokyo. I can sense them from miles away," he said without a hint of emotion on his voice.

Suzume's gasped as her ruby eyes widened. She clenched her fists and quickly turned her attention to her master. He looked at her and quickly at the ground.

"So it seems," he said hoarsely and continued, "You make good use for us, Minowa. I'm glad I didn't make the wrong choice choosing you to take Sasuke's place. You can track peoples' presences from miles away. That will keep us away from enemies."

"We must act at once Master before they make the first move," suggested Suzume and hoped her master will agree her proposal.

"No," he said coolly as he grinned and continued, "Let them find us first. After all, it's _he_ who wants to kill me."

* * *

**A/N:** -falls on the ground dead- For some reason, this chapter took longer than usual. It's ten pages!! gasp I guess because of the lyrics. 

**Song:** "Melodies of Life" **Vocals:** Emiko Shiratori **Game:** Final Fantasy IX

Nope, never played the game, though I heard it's good. XD

**- NEW OC**

Minowa- Around his mid-twenties

Please review if you read the chapter!! I want to know your opinions. It will help me a lot in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! And like every week, chapter 6 is coming up this upcoming weekend. And I think I'm done with OCs. XD


	6. Apology

**

* * *

**

* * *

Miki stood in the door of the bathroom aggravated. She crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the door as she glared and frowned directly at Sakura.

"Will you hurry up?" she asked in an annoyed tone and continued after a deep sigh, "The food is going to get cold."

Sakura gently splashed cold water on her face and shivered. She felt refreshed as soon as the icy cold water touched the surface of her pale skin. Drops of water slithered down her face and landed flat on the sink. She wished the water also had the ability to wash away the pain. She looked at the mirror before her and found a pair of bright emerald eyes gazing back at her. Her expression was solemn. She couldn't get much sleep last night of so many thoughts that plagued her mind. Thoughts about the little boy in her dream whose hands were covered with deep crimson red blood and also about her deceased sister which the mystery of her death remained unknown. But most of all, the secret her parents hid from her.

Sakura finally said after a few good seconds to Miki, "I rather miss out on breakfast."

Miki gasped and shouted, "Are you trying to say my food isn't good enough for you?"

Sakura chuckled and grabbed a white towel nearby. She gently padded the towel on her face until it was completely dry. A thought crossed her mind and she quickly turned around to lock eyes with Miki.

"Miki..." she hesitated, but continued, "How do…you and Sasuke…know each other?" her voice was low and serious. She stared at the ground as she fidgeted with her hands. A slight blush formed on Sakura's cheeks.

An awkward silence filled the room. Miki was taken aback. She didn't see that coming. The question was completely out of the blue.

She smirked as she said, "Odd question. And why do you want to know?"

Sakura looked up and said, "Hey, I asked you a question first! Never mind then…"

Miki let out a small laugh and caught Sakura as she blushed madly. Miki's eyes shot up as soon as a thought crossed her mind.

"Sakura-chan, go ahead and eat without me. I forgot. There's somewhere I need to go," she quickly left the bathroom and headed downstairs.

Before she turned the door knob, she shouted from below, "I'll meet you at school!"

Sakura stood at the bathroom dumbfounded of the sudden behavior of Miki. She shrugged it off and said, "Okay!"

Miki turned the door knob and abruptly opened the door. She stopped in her tracks as she met face to face with a girl no taller than her whose widened gray eyes stared back at her. She held a small, brown bag in her hands and Miki quickly assumed she was a classmate of Sakura.

She held out her hand and said, "Hi! I'm Miki. You must be one of her friends…uh…"

"It's Miu," she said as she took her hand and shook it.

After a few moments of silence, Miki finally managed to say, "Well, I better get going. Sakura's upstairs. Feel free to come in."

"O-okay," Miu stuttered. Her heart skipped a million beats as soon as Miki ran out of her sight. Miu stood there baffled and dumfounded of the sudden encounter. Something about her caught her eye. Something she wished she hadn't remembered.

--

Pain shot throughout Suzume's body as soon as she punched the wall with her fist. The sudden news of the two mysterious figures that arrived here in Tokyo ticked her off. Her master's casual behavior frustrated her as well. She couldn't understand how her master could act in such a way. Those two mysterious figures have come to Tokyo after Master.

"How could you let them find us first?" she muttered between her teeth. "We can't act all calm about this! If we know where they are, why not go after them and take them down?"

"Why not use this time to prepare ourselves for the great battle?" said Master as he grinned.

"He's right," Minowa said as he folded his arms and continued, "We can't act too carelessly in situations like these."

"Who ever asked you for you opinions?" Suzume retorted. "The only reason why you're here is because of your special ability to sense people. Don't think you're any superior than us just because of that. Don't think you can claim your opinions just because you think you're a part of us! We don't find you worthy. You're useless to us now."

Minowa restraint himself from harming Suzume. Her words had stung him deeply in his heart, though he tried to hide it. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and leaned casually against the wall as he closed his eyes shut.

Suzume breathed deeply as the anger boiled up inside of her. The door creaked and Suzume's eyes quickly darted to the person who just entered.

"Good morning everyone!" Miki beamed with happiness and smiled. "Why the long faces? Did Suzume fail another mission again, as always?"

"Shut up, you flat-chested bitch!" Suzume steamed with anger. After she calmed herself, she continued, "It's just that he has come for his revenge."

"I see…" she said and looked at her Master who stood a few feet away from Suzume. "And what are your orders, Master?"

"Let them find us first. Meanwhile we must prepare ourselves for whenever we encounter them. We can't act too rashly."

"I'm telling you, we must go after them!" Suzume said as she took a step closer towards Master.

"Suzume!" his voice echoed throughout the room. He continued after a few moments of silence, "I'm the leader here. Not you. I'm the one who makes the orders here. If you decide to disobey me, don't bother coming to this place again."

Tears formed on Suzume's throat, but she quickly gulped them down. She turned around so she faced no one, but the darkness. She admitted to herself she acted too foolishly to voice her suggestions that rather seemed like demands. She only did that to protect Master from any harm, but he didn't seem to understand that. Without another word said, she left the room as she forced the tears not to come out.

"I-I think you were a bit too harsh on Suzu-chan," said Miki as she smiled nervously at Master.

He simply ignored her and said in a firm tone, "I see you haven't completed your mission yet. Don't take too long. We need Sasuke."

"Right, Master! I promised I wouldn't fail you," she saluted to Master as she smiled cheerfully.

"You're dismissed," said Master.

With that said, Miki quickly left the room, glad to be out of the darkness.

--

A tall, rusty building towered before the two mysterious figures. Its windows were shattered, parts of the building torn apart, and the faint brown color of the building seemed to fade away.

The mysterious figure with long, auburn hair tilted her head towards the man who stood beside her.

Her golden eyes concentrated on him for a long time and she finally managed to say, "Can we really trust this kid?"

"If he tries to betray us," he said as he stared at the building, "we'll just have to dispose of him."

The woman nodded her head in agreement and reached her right arm towards the building. She felt her hand slip through an invisible barrier. She walked through it and turned to reassure the man. He walked through the barrier as well and opened the door of the building. Both of the mysterious figures went inside and disappeared into the darkness of the building.

--

Pensive in her thoughts, Miu stared blankly at the concrete ground as she walked beside Sakura. She held onto her bag tightly as memories flowed throughout her mind.

A small, fragile hand held out to a small Miu. A pair of violet eyes fixed upon her. Her face was serious and she continuously asked for her hand, but Miu shook her head and refused. Suddenly the girl disappeared out of her sight as she smiled at her once again before she left her alone. She promised her she'd never forget her and keep her close to her heart. She'd forgive her for refusing to go along with her and hope to see her again. Tears streamed down Miu's face. She held her clasped hands close to her heart and sobbed softly as she saw her friend leave. She reached her arm out, but it was too late.

The memory was a blur, but Miu still managed to remember. Miki held similar features as her childhood friend and their cheerful smiles were the same as well. Miu sighed deeply. Sakura noticed her strange behavior and stopped walking as she turned to face Miu. It took several seconds for Miu to notice Sakura was no longer walking beside her. She stopped and looked behind her. Sakura's face was serious and her bright emerald eyes were filled with genuine worry.

"What's wrong, Miu?" Sakura asked with concern.

"I-it's nothing…really," Miu reassured her with a small smile. "We should hurry up or else we're going to get scolded again by sensei."

"Right!" said Sakura as she past by Miu and shouted from a distance, "Race ya over there, Miu!"

"Hey! No fair!" Miu chuckled softly and ran to catch up with Sakura.

--

The school bell rang throughout the school advising the students it was lunch time. Swarms of students filled the hallways, barely making any room for other students to squeeze through. They chattered on and on and laughed at each other's jokes. Beads of sweat ran down Sakura's face as she made her way through the hall. She struggled to fit in small openings and often asked her schoolmates to make room for her. She tripped over someone's foot and found struggled to keep her balance. She screamed and closed her eyes shut, but opened them again when she felt something warm. Sakura looked up and a faint blush crept on her face. Sasuke stared back at her with a grim expression on his face.

"Watch where you're going," he simply said and walked away as soon as Sakura got off of him. Sakura stood there dumbfounded and gawked at Sasuke as he walked away. For a moment she thought she was going to faint on Sasuke when she found out she landed on his chest, but luckily he left before she had a chance to. The more she sees him, the faster her heart beats. Sakura still wasn't sure of her feelings. Every day it was just a mystery to her.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" a voice asked from behind.

"Jin!" Sakura said as she turned around. He smiled fondly at her. He scanned his eyes at the area behind her and sighed.

"She's not with you…" he said in a tone that gave a small hint of sadness.

"Who are you talking about? Miu? Or Miki? Don't tell me you happened to have fallen in love with Miki at first sight and have forgotten all about me, Jin," she said playfully as she stared mischievously at Jin.

"I, uh…it's not like that at all, Sakura-chan. It's just that…" he trailed off as soon as he caught a small glimpse of Miu. She headed her way towards them.

"Well, I'll see you then," he said abruptly and started to walk away in a fast pace. Though he had waited all day until lunch to see her, he still couldn't bring himself to talk to her as they have in the past. He couldn't bring up the right words to say. A ball of confusion and mixed feelings plagued his mind he tried so desperately to get rid of ever since that day he heard her voice, but since then has always failed no matter how hard he tried.

"What's up with Jin?" asked Miu as she approached Sakura. Sakura simply shrugged and headed towards the grassy fields along with Miu.

--

The bell rang for the last time that day and the school quickly became isolated by the students who scurried out of the classrooms and out of the school. Sakura stretched her arms out and yawned softly. She rubbed her eyes and groaned as she remembered she had to go directly to her job. She looked around for Miu and caught a glimpse of her after a few minutes. Sakura waved her arms to catch her attention and when she did, they headed their way together to the restaurant.

Sakura dreaded to see Sasuke. After their argument the other day in the classroom, and their encounter during lunch, Sakura doesn't think she can bring herself to face him again. She doesn't want to be humiliated in front of Sasuke again, though, at the very least, he hadn't made fun of her. But something inside Sakura begs her not to ruin her status in front of Sasuke and make the wrong impression of herself.

As soon as Sakura and Miu arrived at the restaurant, they headed straight to their lockers and exchanged into their uniforms. On her way to her job, Sakura debated whether or not she should apologize to Sasuke after she treated him coldly the other day at school. She had come to a conclusion and decided to apologize, for as much as she didn't want to.

She found Sasuke on the counter taking orders of customers and calling for the next one. She decided that as soon as the line was empty, she'll go up to him, apologize quickly, and head back to work.

'_Easier said than done,'_ Sakura thought to herself as she cleaned and polished dirty tables. She glanced up every few minutes to see if the line was empty yet. When it was, she hesitated to go up to him. Her mind told her to go, but her legs said otherwise.

Sakura built up all the courage inside of her and gulped before she headed her way towards the counter. She slowly approached him. She stared at the ground while she fidgeted.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked coldly.

Sakura suddenly looked up, her eyes glaring at Sasuke. When she realized she almost lost her continence, she took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Listen…" she said softly, "I'm...sorry about the other day…"

"Hn. It's not as if you hurt my feelings," said Sasuke as he smirked.

"Still...," she turned, took a step forward and looked back to face Sasuke, "Well, now that that's over with it, I'm heading back to work. I don't need you to forgive me."

Sakura grinned at him and went back to work cleaning and polishing tables. Sasuke snickered and resumed taking orders of customers. In her heart Sakura was relieved to have finally apologized to Sasuke. It was tough for her considering how much she didn't want to apologize to him since she believed he should have apologized to her for making her day worse. But then again it was unfair for her to have shouted at Sasuke when he had nothing to do with her problems.

--

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura," Miu said as she bid goodbye to her friend.

"Alright, bye," Sakura waved back and headed the opposite direction of where Miu went.

Memories of the night the delinquents surrounded her traced her mind. If it hadn't been for Sasuke, many things would have happened. Sakura shook her head violently at the thoughts. She clutched onto her handbag tightly. Sakura stopped in her tracks as she saw the alley where she went through. She quickly passed by it and continued to walk. She turned the corner and found a boy around her age walking through the same path she was. She squinted her eyes and immediately recognized his raven hair.

"Sasuke…" she whispered softly. He stopped in his tracks. Perhaps he had noticed she was walking a few feet away from him. Her eyes widened as she saw sharp needles launch at Sasuke. She felt relieved he was able to dodge them before it sunk deep within his skin. Sakura quickly hid behind a tree. Her eyes widened once again as she saw Miki land on the ground with the tip of her toe a few feet away from Sasuke.

'_What is going on here?'_ she thought.

--

Sasuke walked the sidewalk of the streets with his hands inside his pockets. He heard a slight noise and simply ignored it. He heard the small noise of crunchy leaves being stepped on and quickly stopped in his tracks. It was completely silent and Sasuke listened intently. He jumped in the air as he heard the movement of needles being launched at him. He landed a few feet away from where he stood before and found a pair of violet eyes stare back at him. They beamed with mere amusement.

"As I said before," Miki said playfully, "I'm going to take you back, no matter what."

She held three sharp, silver needles between her fingers and fired them at Sasuke.

He quickly dodged them and smirked as he said, "You're such a fool. You let yourself be easily controlled by others."

Miki held three other needles that dripped with poison. She sneered at Sasuke and snickered as she threw the three needles at him.

Sasuke quickly moved out of the way before the needles made contact with him. His eyes widened at the thought of how close the needles almost hit him. He barely managed to dodge them.

"Is that why you left? Because you wanted to be free?" said Miki as she held out three needles between her fingers.

"I've been free since the beginning. And so are you."

Miki's eyes widened.

"Free…you say…" Miki said sadly as she rested her arms on the sides of her body. She stared blankly at the concrete ground. She quickly looked up when she heard movement and threw a needle on Sasuke's arm. He cried in agony as it pierced through his skin. He held back the pain as he took it out.

"You're lucky it didn't have poison. My intention is not to kill you."

"Then why the hell did some have poison," he asked between his greeted teeth. A drop of blood slithered down his arm.

"Save the pain for later and decide to come with us."

Sasuke grunted.

Miki's eyes widened as soon as he left her sight. She shut her eyes as she felt the pain shot throughout her body. She quickly turned around to find a smirking Sasuke and landed on her knees. Miki forced herself to get up and watched intently if she caught a sight of Sasuke, but it was too late. He wrapped his arm around her neck. Miki gasped for air and locked eyes with Sasuke from the corner of her eyes. She struggled to free herself and reached for her pocket. Before Sasuke had a chance to let go, Miki stabbed the needle through his hand.

Sakura gasped as her eyes widened with fear. Blood covered his hand. This was all too familiar to her. Quickly she remembered of her dream with the little boy and his deep crimson hands. The little boy shared a strong resemblance with Sasuke.

'_It can't be…'_ thought Sakura.

Sakura felt the urge to run by Sasuke's side, but was afraid of what Miki was capable of. She shook violently with fear. This was all too confusing to her. She couldn't tell who was the bad person, if both were, or if both weren't.

"Why can't you…" his voice was hoarse, "Why can't you just decide on your own what you want to do…instead of others telling you what to do. You're free to do whatever you want…You don't have parents to watch over you…you're just like me…an orphan with no one in your life, but you."

"You and I are different…" Miki said in a low tone and continued, "Your parents were killed…they didn't have a choice…my parents abandoned me…they had a choice."

"Then instead of being here doing nothing but being bossed around, do something about it," Sasuke said coldly as he began to walk away.

"We're not done here!" Miki cried as she launched another needle at Sasuke. He caught it before it hit his forehead. He threw it flat on the ground and glared at Miki. Miki stared, awed by his eyes.

"The…Sharingan," she whispered. She shut her eyes and folded her arms as she continued, "Hmph. This is the first time I ever witnessed it. I must say, I'm quite surprised you can read my movements. If it weren't for that Sharingan, I would have had you back there."

Without a word said, Sasuke walked away, but stopped when Miki called out to him.

"Are you thinking of leaving Tokyo?" she inquired.

"If I can't find him here, then I do plan to go somewhere else," he replied and took a step forward, but paused when Miki said, "There's nowhere to look anymore then. The one you're looking for…is here somewhere."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry I haven't uploaded for the past two weeks, so I sacrificed my time today and decided to do my homework at the last minute! I don't mind staying up late...today. I'm a procrastinator, so no worries. Did it seem too rushed? The ending was kinda weird.

I promise I'll focus more on SasuxSaku on the next last chapters. I dunno how many more they'll be, but it's coming to its end. 

**FOCUS ON:**

- Who is this boy the two mysterious figures are talking about?

- What's up with Miu's sudden change of behavior?  
- Who is this person they keep mentioning, but never mention his real name? (should be obvious by now)

Thanks for reading and review, please!! Finals are in the next two weeks, so I'll try my best to get the next chapter up by next week. If I don't, feel free to kill me. 


	7. Promise

**

* * *

**

**.::CHAPTER SEVEN::.**

PROMISE

* * *

Sasuke's gaze fell upon the concrete ground as his dark eyes widened with disbelief. He clenched his hand into a tight ball as his whole body shook violently with rage. The one he was looking for this whole time was there somewhere not far away from him. All that was left to do was to kill him. 

A memory traced his mind. A tall mysterious figure stood before him as a small frighten Sasuke shook with fear. The mysterious figure's long, black coat swayed along with the trees as a gust of wind quickly swept by. Shivers went up Sasuke's spine and his teeth chattered. He couldn't keep his gaze away from the mysterious figure. His whole body was immobilized and for as much as his brain told him to run, his legs said otherwise.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the figure slowly pulled his hood down and revealed a pair of dark, crimson eyes. A tear rolled down Sasuke's pale face.

"Onii-san…" he whispered softly and suddenly entered a world of darkness he knew he couldn't escape anymore.

--

Sasuke lifted his head up and smirked at Miki as he said, "He saved me the trouble of looking for him."

"Tell me," he demanded, "where exactly is he?"

"That's up to you to find out," said Miki as she grinned widely at Sasuke.

Sasuke frowned and Miki shut her eyes as she sighed deeply. She opened her violet eyes again and smiled at Sasuke as she beamed with amusement. She slowly made her way past Sasuke and stopped in her tracks when he said something.

"And what about your mission to take me back? Have you forgotten about that?" he asked as he smirked.

Miki turned around and said as she gazed at the back of Sasuke's head, "I guess I failed."

After a few moments of silence, Miki said as she stared at Sasuke's wounded hand, "You're not going to look for him in that condition, are you?"

"And since when did you care about your enemies?" mocked Sasuke.

"Who ever said we were enemies?" and with that said, Miki walked away and disappeared into the darkness, no longer in Sasuke's sight.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and curled his injured hand into a ball. He launched his hand towards a nearby tree and groaned in pain as he touched the surface of the bark. With his other hand, he tightly wrapped his fingers around his wrist. Drops of blood streamed down his arm as the pain got worse. He collapsed on the floor on his knees. He cursed himself at his stupidity.

"That wasn't very smart of you, you know."

From the corner of his eye he saw a girl peek out from behind a tree. Her concerned green eyes met his gaze. Sasuke instantly recognized her right away.

"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly between his gritted teeth.

Sakura squatted on the floor beside him and held out her bag. She unzipped it and took out a piece of cloth. A frown covered her face and her forehead furrowed in concern. She looked at Sasuke and held out her hand, inaudibly asking for his wounded hand. He hesitantly gave his hand to her. With so much handle and care, she carefully wrapped the cloth around his hand and tightened it into a small bow.

"To stop the bleeding," she said in a low tone.

Sasuke took his hand and looked at it for a few moments. His attention immediately turned towards Sakura as she stared blankly at the ground. Her sorrowful, green eyes brimmed with tears. Sakura couldn't take it anymore. Her mind boggled as so many questions popped out of nowhere one by one. Her thoughts were interrupted as Sasuke casually stood up and placed his hands inside his pockets.

"You shouldn't be out in the streets this late. It's dangerous out here for helpless girls like you," Sasuke said unemotionally as he stared off into the distance.

"And since when did you care so much about me?" mocked Sakura as she rose from the ground.

Sasuke grunted and shut his eyes. "What are you so mad about?" he asked, rather annoyed.

An eerie silence filled both their souls. Their hair danced in the air as a gust of wind passed by. The leaves rustled softly as the force of the air pushed them gently. A tear rolled down Sakura's face. She quickly wiped it away, but more tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm tired…of secrets…"she said in between sobs as she shut her eyes. "People keep on hiding things away from me. My mom…my dad…you…and Miki…" she opened her eyes as she glared at Sasuke and yelled, "Don't I have a right to know?"

"What you saw earlier is none of your business," Sasuke replied coldly.

"But…you and Miki fought and-"

"I already said to mind your own business!" interrupted Sasuke.

"Why…?" Sakura's voice croaked.

She marched towards Sasuke as she curled her hands into fists. Her head steamed with anger; the blood inside of her boiled.

"Why do you always shut yourself away from others?" asked Sakura as she stood in front of Sasuke, their faces just inches away from each other. Sasuke felt his face warm as Sakura's hot breath blew against his face. A shade of pink rose on Sakura's pale cheeks as she stared deeply into his dark eyes. Sasuke couldn't help but gaze into her own eyes that beamed with a light of fire. He found it rather amusing that she was angry.

Sasuke snickered shortly and looked away as he said, "I didn't come here to make friends. I came here…"

He trailed off.

"You came here for him, didn't you? Earlier…you and Miki were talking about someone…It was about a guy, right?" her voice was low and soft.

"Heh. It's has nothing to do with you."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and glued a big frown on her face.

"Listen. I just want to help!" she said as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

Her green eyes bulged as she gasped. Visions of a small boy who ran away from a mysterious figure in a long, black coat came into her mind. The boy's hands were dirty with blood and tears flowed down his face as he pleaded for help. But suddenly, as he collapsed on the grass and stared in fright at the mysterious figure before him, he whispered something to himself and fell to a deep sleep.

_'That boy…it can't be…'_ thought Sakura as she stared skeptically at Sasuke.

Sasuke stared back at Sakura in confusion and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"You…and that boy in my dreams…I just saw into your past," said Sakura as her voice shook with fear.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He clutched tightly onto Sakura's arms as he demanded in a stern tone, "Tell me. What did you see?"

Sakura winced in pain.

"Sasuke, you're hurting me…" Sakura said hoarsely. She rubbed her arm softly as Sasuke let go and stared at him in concern. A shadow cast upon his eyes. He wasn't quite sure if he could believe Sakura. How could someone look into his past? As soon as she touched him, she claimed she saw his past. At least now someone was able to know the suffering he went through in his childhood.

After a few moments of silence, Sasuke opened his mouth and said, "What exactly did you see?"

"I saw…" Sakura stammered but continued after a deep sigh, "I saw a young you…in the grass…scared and…also someone else, much older than you, but…I couldn't tell who he was…"

"Itachi," Sasuke hissed between his gritted teeth.

"Itachi?" Sakura repeated in bewilderment.

"The one who murdered my parents," Sasuke said, with a hint of hatred in his tone.

--

The swings gave an eerie screech as Miki swayed back and forth. Her eyes stared morosely at the grains of sand before her as thoughts ran on her mind.

"Do something about my life, huh?" she whispered softly to herself.

She stopped and the playground was silent again. Miki heaved a deep sigh and shut her eyes close. She felt the heavy wind kiss her cheeks lightly and she couldn't help but smile to herself. She shot her eyes opened as she heard someone snicker from behind the shadows. Her heart pounded loudly and a bead of sweat trickled down her face. Her eyes darted to one place and another, but she saw no sight of anyone.

_'Maybe my mind is playing tricks with me,'_ she thought as she chuckled to herself.

From her peripheral vision, she saw a figure quickly pass by behind some thick bushes. Miki's breathing deepened. Her heart skipped a million beats. Beads of sweat streamed down her pale face. She quickly rose from the swings and desperately looked around her.

"Who's there?" she said as her voice shook with fear.

From behind the depths of the shadows, light footsteps slowly approached her. Miki gathered up all of her courage and positioned herself in a fighting stance as she held out a needle between her fingers. The quiet, still night gave Miki and eerie feeling. She shivered as the wind blew against her bare skin.

Suddenly, she threw her needle towards the area from where the sounds of the footsteps were coming from. She gasped as it bounced back and sunk deep under the grains of the sand.

"It's as if…" she trailed off as her violet eyes widened with disbelief.

"…there's an invisible barrier…" she finished off as she glared into a pair of golden eyes that beamed with amusement.

"Hiroshi!" Miki hissed between her gritted teeth.

--

"So you're saying the person who murdered your parents…was your brother?" asked Sakura as she sat across from Sasuke.

Sasuke replied as he looked at the ground before him, "There's no doubt about it. Even though it was dark, I was able to see his red eyes clearly."

"I don't understand…why would he murder your parents?" Sakura asked anxiously as her forehead furrowed.

"That still remains a mystery to me…" Sasuke said as he looked off into the distance.

Sakura stared at him apprehensively as he stayed quiet. She did not know of the pain Sasuke went through when he was a child. All this time he had been roaming the world, searching for one person in particular just to avenge his family's death. All this time Sasuke had been alone, with no one by his side to comfort him when he had went through so much. Sakura felt the desire to reach out to him, to let him know he was not alone, but she hesitated. She wasn't sure of her feelings for him and she wasn't sure of how Sasuke would react.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sasuke rose from the ground. He placed his hands inside his pockets and shut his eyes close as a frown formed on his face.

"Wait, where are you going?" Sakura asked as she stood on her feet. She watched as he walked away from her. Her lips formed into a straight line as Sasuke ignored her.

_'At least now I know I earned his trust if he confided in me to talk about his past,'_ Sakura thought as she smiled to herself and walked the opposite direction of where Sasuke headed to.

--

The blood that ran throughout Miki's veins boiled as she clenched her fists tightly. She glared at the boy who stood before her. He was not much older than she was. His dark, purple bangs fell loose over his forehead and covered his eyes, but they were still visible through some small gaps. A dark, long cloak shrouded him along with the darkness as his long figure towered over Miki. He grinned widely at her as she steamed with anger.

"You're looking as short as ever, Miki-chan," he teased as he flashed her with another wide smile.

"It's been long…traitor," Miki said as she returned the smile.

"Who ever said I betrayed you? Just because I left doesn't mean we're enemies, does it?" he said as he walked through the invisible barrier. He lifted Miki's chin and gazed deeply into her violet eyes that burned with fire and hatred.

"Don't touch me," she hissed as she slapped his hand away. Hiroshi took a few steps back as he noticed the fire in her eyes.

"You amuse me, Miki-chan," Hiroshi said as he chuckled softly. "You haven't changed a bit," he continued.

"On the other hand, you have."

Miki's eyes glimmered with tears, but she fought them back. She watched intently as Hiroshi approached her slowly. She quickly took out a needle and held it between her fingers. In a blink of an eye, she hurled the needle towards Hiroshi, but her eyes widened. Hiroshi held out both of his hand before him and separated them apart as he formed an invisible barrier. The needle bounced back and sunk on the depths of the sand.

"So that's the way it is, Miki-chan," he said as he readied himself in a fighting position.

--

"I'm home!" Sakura said as she slipped off her shoes and replaced her feet with light green slippers. She shut the door behind her and walked her way through the hallway.

"Nobody's home," she whispered softly to herself. She placed her hands on the rims of the staircase and stood there in awe.

"I guess this is the way Sasuke might feel like when he gets home and nobody's there, but him," she said sadly.

_'Why, all of the sudden, do I pity Sasuke? It's not like I care about him. It's not like he cares about me. Then what? What is it?'_ she thought.

She placed one foot on the first step and slowly made her way through the staircase. When she reached the top, she stopped in her tracks and looked back.

"Even if my parents are keeping a secret away from me, I'm grateful to have them by my side," she smiled to herself and walked her way towards her room.

--

Miki ran through the playground as she quickly dodged the green glowing orbs that launched at her. Hiroshi formed his hands into a shape of a ball as they glowed bright orange. Suddenly, a sphere of a light energy rested between his hands and he exerted it towards Miki with the force of his hands. She managed to evade it and darted three needles towards Hiroshi. An invisible barrier blocked them and Miki cursed as she dodged a few more spheres that aimed at her.

_'The more energy he uses to create those glowing spheres, the weaker he becomes. So if I can manage to dodge all of them, suddenly he won't be able to fight anymore,'_ thought Miki as she breathed deeply.

Hiroshi formed another glowing sphere with his hands and launched it towards Miki, but he missed. It crashed on the floor and created a small explosion. Tiny pebbles flew from ground and showered Miki.

_'His attacks are weak. Either he's losing energy…or not trying to hurt me badly,'_ she thought with a small smile.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Miki-chan. It won't last for long," he said as he heaved a huge orange sphere towards Miki.

_'Damn. I can't dodge this one! It's coming at a fast speed.'_

A small tear slithered down her cheek as she shut her eyes.

"Why…Hiroshi…why did you break our promise?" she yelled from the top of her lungs as she saw what was coming next.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the long await. -bows- I feel very bad. Thanks for all your patience and support. Amaya-chan is one happy girl. So...what do you think?? Sorry if I took long...if I took a VERY long time. No wait, sorry I took a very long time. When I revised this chapter, I enjoyed it. Hehe. Why? SasuSaku fluff. Well, not much, but I mean Sasuke told Sakura of his past!! He confides in her now. That's a good sign. 

**NEW OC:**

- Hiroshi -16

If only I can draw him...he's hot. So yeah, things to clear up in the future:

- Sasuke's past  
- Sakura's past  
- Miki and Miu's past  
- Miki and Hiroshi's past

Oh, and btw, you all might be, "Again with this Itachi-killing-his-clan-crap??". Nope. Not this time. -hint hint- So stay tuned!! And please review. :) And please point out anything strange... is acting up again. XD


	8. It's a small world after all

**Last Time:** A small tear slithered down her cheek as she shut her eyes.

"Why…Hiroshi…why did you break our promise?" she yelled from the top of her lungs as she saw what was coming next.

Just to refresh your memory a bit. Miki encountered an enemy, Hiroshi, who was an old friend of her. As he launched a orange sphere of light towards her, Miki yelled, with tears on her face, why did he betray her.

**END OF REFRESHING YOUR MEMORY**

XDDD

**

* * *

**

**.::CHAPTER EIGHT::.**

_It's a small world after all..._

* * *

A loud, crashing sound startled Sakura as she walked the lonely streets of Tokyo. A flock of crows soared high in the sky. An eerie feeling crept up her spine. She swallowed hard. Something from the bottom of her heart told her to go to where the sound came from, but she hesitated. She continued to walk until the sound repeated itself. Her legs shook, her hands trembled, her heart quivered. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, her legs began to move on their own and ran with all their might. Her heart pounded loudly against her chest. She wasn't sure where she was going, but something cried out to her. It cried out to her for help. 

--

The source of light came closer and closer towards Miki as the seconds passed. A tear slithered down her cheek. Death was in front of her and there was no escaping it. She stood there immobilized by fear. She closed her violet eyes. She yelled from the top of her lungs. But her eyes shot opened when she heard a faint cry.

"Stop!" the voice cried.

In front of Miki faced the back of a girl. She trembled with fear, but she stood there, not daring to move an inch. Miki immediately recognized her short, pink hair.

"Sakura…" Miki whispered with awe.

Sakura's arms spread out as if to protect Miki. She breathed deeply, as if she had run a marathon, but in reality she was frightened of what stood before her; a boy her age with supernatural powers. She didn't stand a chance against him. She was vulnerable.

Hiroshi's eyes widened and he blinked a few times.

'_Such immense power,' _he thought.

He was baffled. The girl across from him somehow managed to stop his attack. There wasn't a single scratch on her face. Although she was just a human, she seemed to possess a power far greater than anything else. She completely nullified Hiroshi's attack without even realizing it. Then it hit Hiroshi like a hard stone.

"The Missing Child…" he whispered.

A smile spread on his lips. His eyes filled with pure amusement. He had finally found what everyone had been looking for. And he had her all for himself.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Miki asked sternly.

Sakura said over her shoulder, "I came because I was worried. I heard sounds from far away and somehow my feet brought me here on their own."

As soon as Sakura said this, Miki looked over her shoulder and noticed that Hiroshi was smirking. His eyes laid directly on Sakura. Miki's eyes widened with disbelief. Hiroshi always had the obsessive desire to capture something in order to please Master back when he was still with the organization, but he had betrayed them for his own reasons. What had he called it back then? Miki couldn't remember for as much as she tried to.

"I finally…" Hiroshi said as he breathed deeply, "I finally found the Missing Child!"

He dashed towards Sakura with incredible speed. Sakura gulped and gathered all her courage. She stood there with her arms still spread apart, ready for what was coming, but she felt a tug on her shoulder and suddenly she was pulled back.

"Let me handle this, Sakura," said Miki bravely as she stood in a fighting position, "For the meantime run while you still can."

"But-"

"Go!" Miki demanded and her voice soften as she said, "I never asked you to come. Don't worry. It'll be fine." Then she smiled genuinely. "Leave it all to me."

Sakura saw the fire in Miki's eyes, but she was still not convinced that she would be fine. Sakura nodded slowly and forced her feet to run as fast as they could take her, but she stopped in her tracks and turned around. She faced Miki with sorrowful eyes, but Miki winked and reassured her everything would be alright. With one last glance at Miki, she forced her feet as far as they can.

"You're not getting away!" Hiroshi said as he darted towards Sakura.

Miki cart wheeled a few times towards Hiroshi and when she reached him, she stopped midway until she carried her weight with her hands on the ground. Quickly, she launched a kick at Hiroshi and blood gushed out of his nose. Miki regained her composure and smirked at the bloody face before her. He smirked back as he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his cloak.

"Your opponent is me," said Miki.

--

Sakura ran on the sidewalk of the dark streets of Tokyo. She wasn't sure where her legs were taking her. Her mind boggled with so many thoughts. Sakura knew she couldn't go back home knowing Miki was battling someone and that she was close to her death. Sakura had to find a way to save Miki, but she thought she was too weak to save her herself.

'_What did that boy mean by 'Missing Child'?' _thought Sakura, but she shook her head violently and thought that wasn't very important at the moment.

Sakura cried desperately for help in her mind. She prayed with all her heart and soul that she would find someone for help. Sasuke immediately popped up in her mind. That's right; he had that strange eye ability to see attacks in advance. She had to find Sasuke and fast, before it was too late. He was her only hope now.

--

Miki threw the three needles she held in her hand at Hiroshi, but he managed to dodge them quickly. Hiroshi sneered at Miki and she cursed under her breath. He formed an orange sphere between his hands and released it towards her. The orange sphere of light was different from the others. It was huge, but it almost seemed as if it wasn't aimed directly at her. The orb of light crashed on the ground and pebbles flew out from it. Miki put out her crossed arms in front of her to protect herself. The laces of her hair slipped through her ponytails and her wavy, pink hair bounced below her shoulders.

'_That idiot,'_ thought Miki,_ 'He wants me to believe that he created a huge orange sphere to strike me, but he intentionally missed. He's not trying to hurt me.'_

Miki smiled to herself and Hiroshi noticed.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Miki giggled and said, "You're still soft, Hiroshi. I thought you have changed, but I guess I was wrong."

Hiroshi formed another orange sphere of light, but it died out when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and found a pair of ruby eyes that looked rather annoyed. His eyes looked exactly like Sasuke's eyes when he used the Sharingan on Miki. Perhaps they were the Sharingan itself and Miki found it suspicious. There were only two people, as far as she knows who could use the Sharingan, and they are Sasuke and his brother. It couldn't be, could it? Could he possibly be him?

"Itachi-sama!" said Hiroshi in surprise.

"That's enough," his deep voice said.

Miki's eyes widened in disbelief. The man shrouded in a dark cloak, the man who stood a few feet away from Miki, was the man who Sasuke wanted to kill this whole time. He had killed his whole clan and almost his little brother. And Miki stood in fear, in a trance, shocked and afraid, not sure what to do. Without glancing at Miki at all, he turned around and began to walk away as Hiroshi followed behind him.

Miki's eyes followed him. Hatred formed in her eyes. This man had hurt Sasuke. She couldn't just bear and watch him walk away and hurt Sasuke more than he already did. This man was a murderer, and like all murderers, he had to pay.

"This is for your brother!" Miki yelled as she held some needles in her hand and ran towards Itachi with all her might.

Itachi turned around and his eyes met hers. Miki had a feeling as if she shouldn't have done that, but it was too late. Suddenly everything around her turned pitch black and she couldn't see what was in front or back of her anymore; she no longer couldn't see Itachi or Hiroshi either. An eerie feeling deep inside of her overwhelmed her. She felt cold inside and she shivered slightly. Distant cries startled her and she quickly spun around. Her eyes bulged and tears gathered in her eyes. She watched in horror as a wounded, bloody body fell on top of another. All of the scattered bodies had no pulse. They showed no sign of life as they laid still on pools of blood on the ground.

All the bodies seemed much younger than Miki. They were kids who suffered terrible deaths. Miki recognized them right away. They were her friends in the past, when she joined a gang together with Hiroshi. They all shared something in common; they were all orphans, like her. They've been abandoned by their parents, or their parents have died in an accident, or they were just born without parents. Either way, they had no parents.

They all worked together as a team to steal food from stores, to fight other gang members who picked on them, to overcome all obstacles, to give each other warmth on cold days, to wash each other on the river. They were a family, until a tragic incident occurred. They were supposed to give their ally, their home to some other gang, but they refused. Instead of giving up their home, they fought for it, which resulted into the tragic night Miki never forgot. That very same night Hiroshi had discovered his supernatural powers, but it was too late because everyone else had died. He defeated the other gang and ran away together with Miki somewhere else. They ran far away from their old home. Days passed without any food or water. They couldn't possibly steal food without the rest of their friends for distraction and backup support. On the verge of their death, when Hiroshi and Miki lost all hope, they met Master, who offered them a better life and a better future, and they accepted the offer for their own sakes.

"Stop…" Miki pleaded, barely in a whisper as she blocked her ears with her hands. She didn't want to hear the cries anymore. They brought back bad memories; bad memories that haunted her every night and bad memories that were a living nightmare from her past.

"Please, stop!" she shouted as the cries got louder and louder. Tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't stop them for as much as she tried to.

"It's all your fault…" eerie voices whispered to Miki. "All your fault…"

"No it's not!" cried Miki as tears furiously streamed down her face.

Hiroshi saw the terrified look on Miki's face. He wasn't sure what was exactly happening, but he couldn't bare the sight anymore. Miki was going through so much pain. It hurt him more than anything.

"Please stop it, Itachi-sama. She's not worth using your genjutsu on. She's weak," said Hiroshi.

"Fine," said Itachi, with no emotion.

Itachi turned around and walked away along with Hiroshi. With one last glance at Miki, Hiroshi quickly turned around. Although he didn't show it in front of Itachi, he held guilt for everything. He couldn't face Miki again. He failed to protect her, as he promised in the past.

--

Sakura's heart danced with joy and her spirit lifted. She finally found Sasuke. She called out his name, but he didn't hear her. After several times, Sakura yelled from the top of her lungs and she finally grabbed his attention. She ran up to him. When she reached him, she took a while to catch her breath and when she finally did, she looked at Sasuke, her eyes filled with worry.

She finally said, "Sasuke, please save her. Please save Miki!"

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she fought them back.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sasuke.

"Miki…she's in trouble! She's fighting against this dangerous guy and you have to save her. If not…if not…" she sobbed as tears rolled down her face.

Sasuke stared at her, baffled. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it must have been serious if Sakura cried in front of him. He closed his eyes and sighed.

--

"Are you sure it's this way?" asked Sasuke as he ran behind Sakura.

"I'm sure," answered Sakura. She had no time to waste. She had to get to Miki right away.

Sakura and Sasuke ran by some bushes filled with thorns. They crossed the streets since no cars were on sight. They passed by the place where Sasuke last saw Miki, and suddenly they made it past the playground. Sakura spotted Miki from far away and quickly ran up to her as she called her name. She noticed Miki was alone and that she was on her knees with her arms on her sides. Sakura had a bad feeling about it.

When Sakura finally reached Miki, she placed her hand over her shoulder and spun her around. She gasped. Miki had a terrified look on her face. Her jaw fell wide open and she stared off into the distance.

"Miki," Sakura called out to her as she shook her gently. "What happened to you? Tell me."

"She can't hear you," Sasuke said when he finally reached them, "She suffered a psychological attack."

Sakura turned around to face Sasuke and she said, "How do you know, Sasuke? Please tell me!"

After a few moments of silence, he finally opened his mouth and said, "Only one person could have done this. The only person who could have done this was Itachi."

"Itachi?" Sakura gasped in disbelief. "Your brother did this to Miki?! But why?"

"I'm not sure why, but I know it was him," was all Sasuke said.

Sakura gathered Miki into a hug and she wept as the tears couldn't stop streaming down her face. She could only imagine what Miki went through. She found it easy to blame herself. Since she was late, Miki had to go through this psychological attack. Sakura could never forgive herself for this.

"Sasuke, let's take her to the hospital," said Sakura as she wiped away all the tears that stained her face. "My parents are doctors. They are considered to be one of the best doctors in Tokyo. I'm sure they can find a way to cure Miki. There's no time to waste. Let's go."

--

Miu held a fresh, cup of tea between her hands. She brought the cup closer to her lips and took a small sip out of it. The warmth surged through her whole body and suddenly she didn't feel the coldness she felt earlier anymore. She placed the cup on top of the counter beside her bed. With a deep sigh, Miu collapsed in her bed and spread her arms apart. She shut her eyes and thoughts immediately flooded through her mind.

"It's a small world after all…if things are the way I think of them to be," Miu told herself. She rose from her bead and reached for the cup of tea. Before she had a chance to touch the cup, it formed a small crack.

Miu was taken aback, but she shook her head once and said, "I don't believe in that stuff."

Even though she told herself that, she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. The world just seemed all too confusing to her.

--

"I'm sorry Miss, but you can't enter the room without Doctor Haruno's permission. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit longer," the nurse from the reception desk said.

Sakura sighed. She bowed and thanked the nurse before she walked over to Sasuke. She sat next to him without saying a single word. She stole a quick glance at Sasuke and then stared at the ground before her. She impatiently fidgeted with her feet. The more seconds and minutes that past, the more anxious she got.

"Will you please stop fidgeting?" Sasuke said slightly annoyed. "You're bothering the people across from us."

Sakura looked up and found an old, wrinkled face staring back at her. Her eyes were small and barely visible. Her gray hair was tied up in a small bun. She clutched onto her crane as she sat and the old lady gave a weary, but gentle smile. Sakura caught herself blushing. She bowed her head and quickly apologized. Sakura smiled back warmheartedly. Just a single smile from the old lady raised all of Sakura's hopes. It washed away all of her worries in an instant. She no longer felt as anxious as she had felt earlier. But the old lady seemed very exhausted. Perhaps she was waiting for someone in the hospital. Or perhaps she was waiting for a doctor to run her a quick checkup.

"Sakura," a soft, gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sakura quickly caught her mother's round sapphire eyes. Her mother held a brown clipboard against her long white coat. She got up and walked over to her mother's elegant figure. Her mother's long, pink ponytail swayed side to side as she strolled over to her daughter. They finally reached each other and Sakura gulped as she gathered all of her courage, ready for what was coming. Sakura's mother fixed her glasses farther up her nose and cleared her throat.

"Now tell me. What exactly happened?" her mother asked tenderly.

Sakura looked over her shoulder and met eyes with Sasuke. His eyes seemed stern, almost as if he demanded Sakura not to tell her mother the truth.

She faced her mother and said, "It's a long story, mom. Where's dad?" She asked, with hopes of changing the topic.

"He's running a checkup on a patient. He'll be here as soon as he's done."

"I see," Sakura said with relief. She thought it was much harder to deal with her father, so she was grateful her mother was here instead.

"Was he also with you when the incident occurred?" Sakura's mother said as her eyes were fixed on Sasuke.

"Uh, yes," stammered Sakura. "He was there. Though we don't know all of the details. We found her when she was already in a state of shock," she said sadly.

"I see," her mother said as she walked over to Sasuke and reached out her hand to him. "Hi there. I'm Sakura's mother, Haruno Minako. Feel free to just call me Minako. And you are?"

Sasuke got up from his seat and shook her hand firmly as he said, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Your daughter's classmate."

Minako gasped softly.

'_An Uchiha,'_ she thought.

She quickly changed her expression before Sasuke or Sakura found it suspicious.

She smiled as she said, "I see. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed. Sakura hardly has any guy friends. I'd figured since she's a high schooler, that she at least has one guy friend. You see, ever since-"

"Mom," Sakura interrupted, her face solemn and serious. "There are other important things to discuss about."

"I'm sorry," Minako gave a short laugh. "I just tried to lighten up the mood a bit."

"How's Miki?" asked Sakura.

"For the moment, she's unconscious. She doesn't seem to be in any means of danger. The only problem is we're not sure if there is a cure for her in the moment. Sakura, if you don't tell us what exactly happened, I'm afraid we can't help your friend."

"Mom…" Sakura said in a low tone, barely audible. "I'm afraid I can't tell you. I don't think there's a cure either. What happened to her may be different than you think." Her voice was shaky.

Tears filled her eyes. There are times when you're strong enough to fight back tears, but

there are also times when you can't stop them from running.

Sakura broke into tears and sobbed softly. She couldn't stop them from running down her face. Suddenly she found herself in a warm embrace. She looked up to find a tender smile from her mother. Minako wiped away the tears that stained her daughter's pale face.

She caressed her pink hair as she said softly, "There, there. I understand."

Minako stole a quick glance at Sasuke and looked away, her eyes filled with sadness. Her heart throbbed in pain. Memories of Kin filled her mind. Tears formed from the pit of her throat.

'_To think…there's another Uchiha,_' Minako thought.

--

"Your daughter was last seen with the infamous Uchiha Itachi," a man said as he threw a picture on his desk. He held a cigar in his hand and smoke clouded the room. He stroked his black beard as he impatiently waited for his money from the woman who stood before him.

Minako took the picture from the desk and she ran her finger through the picture. In it was the back of a man she couldn't see very clear, but imprinted on the back of his dark cloak was a red fan. Beside him stood a slim woman, her elegant features seen from the side of her face. She held a serious expression, but her eyes seemed different. Her golden eyes held a sign of happiness and joy. Minako felt a sense of relief.

She placed the picture back on the desk and handed the money to the detective. He quickly counted it as he blew a puff of smoke in the air. He placed his long legs on top of the desk.

His black boots protruded from the desk and he crossed his arms. He stared at Minako for a very long time before he said, "You're not going to ask me where she was last seen with him?"

"No," she said as she headed towards the door. "Wherever she's at, she seems happy. There's no need for me to interfere."

"Seriously, you're a weird woman," the detective said as he chuckled. "Keep this picture. It might be useful in the future."

--

Minako sat on her desk and quickly opened her drawer. She searched inside of it for a moment and eventually found was she was looking for underneath a pile of papers. She closed the drawer and stared at the picture before her. The detective was right. Minako carefully studied the man with the red fan behind his cloak. Her search for her daughter was not over yet. She still hasn't lost all of her hopes yet.

Minako held the picture close to her chest as she called out softly, "Kin…"

She instantly remembered of Sakura and said to herself, "Was it right to leave Uchiha-san with Sakura? It could just be a mere coincidence. Let's hope it is…for my daughter's sake."

--

"I know it may be too much to ask," Minako said as she smiled at Sasuke. "But can I leave my daughter to you?"

"M-mom," Sakura stuttered as her cheeks turned bright pink. "I can walk home by myself!"

"It's dangerous to be walking around this time. Who knows what might happen this late at night. A lot of perverts like to wander around at this time of the night. They just wait for their prey," Minako said as she giggled. Her daughter looked so cute when she blushed.

"Yeah, listen to your mother," said Sasuke. "You'll turn out just like the girl in the legend."

"L-legend?" Sakura said nervously.

"You'll turn out like the girl who decided to take a shortcut in an alley late at night after work," said Sasuke.

'_Cha! Is he trying to make fun of me?'_ steamed Sakura as her fists shook violently.

"Well then. It was night meeting you, Uchiha-san. Please take care of my daughter. I leave her all to you," she faced her daughter as she said this, "I'll do anything I can to help your friend. Don't worry a thing. After all, I _am_ one of the best doctors in Tokyo. Isn't that right?"

"I know you're trying to cheer me up, mom. But don't get too full of yourself," then Sakura said with a genuine smile, "Thanks, mom."

--

Sakura walked quietly alongside Sasuke. The streets of Tokyo were completely empty and the eerie whispers of the wind called out to Sakura as shivers went up her spine. She looked up at the sky and gazed at the stars. The stars illuminated the dark sky and made it a beautiful view to Sakura. She gasped in awe, but her smile turned into a frown when a dark cloud drifted across the sky. She no longer felt comforted by the stars. Dark clouds blocked her view. She sighed deeply and stole a quick glance at Sasuke. She wondered why he rarely talked. He was so mysterious, filled with many secrets he kept to himself. Sakura managed to earn his trust. She learned a few things about Sasuke, but that wasn't enough to understand why she kept on having dreams about him as a kid. Sakura couldn't stand the eerie silence. She opened her mouth to say something, but she hesitated. Suddenly the wind picked up and a strong gust swayed the branches of a tree.

"The air smells like rain," said Sasuke and Sakura nodded in agreement.

Sakura and Sasuke finally reached their destination. Sakura quickly gave her thanks to Sasuke as she blushed slightly. She quickly looked away to hide it. Sasuke shrugged and turned around.

"_I finally found the Missing Child!"_

As soon as Sakura remembered this, she quickly grabbed Sasuke's arm before he even had a chance to walk away. Sasuke was taken aback from surprise. Sakura quickly let go when she realized what she did.

She stroked her arm as she said, "Sorry…about that. It's just that…"

A drop of rain fell from the sky. As dark clouds hovered over them, more drops of rain fell on the ground. Suddenly they were showered by the heavy rain and their whole bodies were completely soaked.

"It's just that you can't go back home with this rain," Sakura quickly lied. The truth was she didn't want to be alone. She was afraid of what might come after her. She was afraid of the boy who had called her the "Missing Child". With Sasuke by her side, she at least felt a bit safe.

"My parents won't come home tonight. They're always so busy with work and all. I bet you're tired. You can stay over my house until the rain calms down a bit. I won't mind, as long as you don't do anything perverted," said Sakura as she chuckled softly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"S-scared of what?" she stammered as she laughed nervously.

He pointed to the sky as he replied, "Of thunder." A loud roar rose from the heavens and boomed throughout their ears.

"Thunder doesn't scare me," Sakura said seriously. "There are other things that scare me more. Losing a friend is far scarier than thunder."

Sasuke looked up at the sky. Drops of rain trickled down his face as he said, "The sky is crying for you. It's shedding tears that you're trying so desperately to fight back."

"Sasuke…you…" Sakura was at loss of words. Unexpectedly, he said something that touched her heart. She smiled to herself. Perhaps he was not as bad as she thought.

"Let's go inside, before we catch pneumonia," suggested Sakura as she quickly opened the door and inside they went.

* * *

**A/N:** I am SOOO sorry for the long await. XDD It has been SOOO long, I don't think anyone wants to read this fic anymore. It's all my fault!! Please forgive me!! 

But let's look at it at the bright side. I FINALLY added some SasuSaku fluff. You know what that means...Don't worry, I don't know either. ;P

**NEW! **OC:

Minako -??

She's not new, but this is the first time she actually, sort of made an appereance. I don't think I'm going to focus too much on Sakura's dad.

**Q: What part of this chapter did you like the most?**  
**Q: Is there anything you didn't like in this chapter? If yes, what?**

Please answer these questions. I want to know so it can help me better improve with my writing. Feel free to point out any mistakes and errors. Don't think I'll get offended if you tell me something that you don't like about this fic, because it won't. I'll only thank you and try to improve it. :)

Ahh!! And Sasuke and Sakura are meant to be a little OOC. It'd be weird if they were in character. It would not help me much with my fic. XDD

Thanks for reading and please review!! Reviews make me super happy. -

**EDIT:** Thanks to mom of three for pointing out my silly mistake. ;P Hehe. Thanks!


	9. Angel of Nightmares

**

* * *

**

.::CHAPTER NINE::. 

_Angel of Nightmares

* * *

_

The rumbling sound of thunder shot through Sakura's ears. She sighed and looked out the window with a weary expression on her face. The rain sprinkled from the heavens and created small puddles of water on the ground. The darkness was illuminated by sudden lighting. Sakura shut her eyes and placed her hand on her forehead. Her head throbbed and she couldn't bear the pain anymore. She went through a lot that night. Her mind circled with thoughts that encumbered her and wouldn't go away.

Sakura's life was filled with many secrets. She craved to learn about those secrets so her world wouldn't be as confusing as it is. What is the secret her parents kept away from her? How come she had dreams about Sasuke's past? What exactly is the Missing Child?

Her eyes quickly shot open when the boiling water hissed angrily at her. Sakura turned off the stove and carefully poured hot water on two small cups. She walked over to the nearest cabinet and opened it to take out a small box filled with green tea bags. Sakura hit her forehead and sighed deeply.

"I forgot to ask Sasuke if he likes green tea," she murmured to herself. "We only have green tea."

"Green tea is fine," a voice said from behind her.

Sakura abruptly spun around. She hadn't expected Sasuke and she felt foolish for not realizing he was behind her. She didn't hear his footsteps at all. She truly was in a daze.

"Sasuke, wh-what are you doing here?" Sakura stuttered as she shifted nervously.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said, "I came to see what's taking so long and found you talking to yourself."

Sakura's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened in surprise. She smiled sheepishly and scratched her head.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little distracted from all that has happened," Sakura said softly.

Her emerald eyes shifted to the floor. Her eyes couldn't meet Sasuke's. Tears formed on the pit of her throat. A large hole rested on the core of her heart. More mysteries filled the air and it drove Sakura crazy. She needed answers, quick before she got out of her mind. She raised her head and forced a weak smile at Sasuke. Sasuke grunted as he quickly looked away.

As he turned around, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Don't fret on this too much. Things will turn out okay in the end."

And with that said he casually walked out the kitchen. Sakura genuinely smiled to herself and shook her head. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and chucked to herself as she placed the tea bags in the cups, ready to make some tea.

--

A deep feeling overwhelmed Sasuke. Sweat trickled down his face. A strange aura filled the house. His dark eyes quickly shifted around the room. He looked in front of him, right and left, and in back of him, but there was no sign of anything. He was sure he felt something abnormal, something out of place. He shrugged and stared at the picture frames that sat still on top of sofa tables of the living room. He held one on his hand and stared at two young girls who hugged each other lovingly. He recognized Sakura right away. The other girl, he assumed, must have been her older sister. Her face pressed against Sakura's and her auburn hair fell over her shoulders. Her gold eyes gleamed with joy and a wide smile spread on her face. They both seemed content to have each other's presences by their sides.

He placed the picture back to its place. Glass shattered on the ground and the sound echoed to the living room. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and sighed when Sakura reassured him everything was alright. A few moments later she came in the kitchen and held a tray of tea cups. She cheerfully walked over to Sasuke with a wide grin on her face and placed the tray on the sofa table.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun. Tea is ready!" she said joyfully.

Sasuke noticed something strange about her demeanor. She seemed awfully happy and not like herself at all.

Sakura reached to the sofa table and carefully grabbed a cup of tea. She handed it to Sasuke. He stared at her incredulously. Something unnatural was going on and he had no time to wait and find out.

Sasuke slapped her hand and the tea cup fell out of her hand. It spilled and created a huge stain on the floor. Sakura held her hand innocently and her mouth fell agape in disbelief. She slowly backed away from Sasuke.

"Don't screw with me," Sasuke said forcefully as he got up from the sofa. He approached her slowly and his face glowered as he met eyes with the stranger who stood before him.

"Who _are_ you?" he snarled through his gritted teeth.

She smirked and snickered as her body slowly regenerated to its original form. Suddenly the stranger that looked like Sakura faded away and what stood before Sasuke was merely an unknown person to him. Her wavy blonde hair bounced loosely over her shoulders and fell all the way to the ground. Her cerulean blue eyes were filled with pure amusement and she twirled and played with her hair as she stared seductively at Sasuke. A mole rested on the bottom of her lips. She was shrouded in a long, dark cloak and Sasuke's eyes widened.

Sasuke smirked back and he said, "You'd think you'd trick me. But I know her better than you. She has never called me Sasuke-kun before and besides…" he pointed his finger at her face. "You didn't do a very good job concealing your mole."

The girl laughed and said, "That's what I'd expect from an Uchiha."

A frown appeared on Sasuke's face and his forehead furrowed. Sasuke realized that this girl had some connection with Itachi. He clenched his fists and the blood inside of him boiled.

"But I'm not after you," continued the girl. "I'm here after the child who has been missing for centuries…the Missing Child. But first I have to get rid of you before I take her with me. It's my mission and I have to complete it no matter what burden comes my way. And you're the burden!"

She charged towards Sasuke with incredible speed. Her movements were too fast for his naked eyes to see. He closed his eyes and quickly opened them again. His deep, crimson eyes filled with rage and anger, but at the same time joy and happiness. This girl was probably his key to finding out where his brother was. All he had to do was to defeat her and forced the words out of her.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Azrael," she sneered as she said, "The angel who's going to part your soul from your body when I kill you!"

Azrael curled her fists and hurled a punch at Sasuke, but he managed to dodge it just on time as he back flipped in the air. As he flew in the air, his eyes widened as Azrael smirked. Just as he was a few inches from the ground, he felt something pull him forward. He stopped to a halt and came face to face with Azrael.

She grinned and murmured evilly, "You fell into my trap."

Sasuke found himself tangled in her long, blonde hair. He squirmed and struggled to free himself, but it was hopeless. Azrael squeezed him harder and Sasuke flinched in pain. Suddenly he let out a cry of agony and felt his muscles tighten.

"So…this is…your…ability," he said in between breaths.

"That's right," she replied. "Not only am I able to transform into other people, but I can also let my hair grow on my own will to the point that I can squeeze you to death."

Sasuke cursed under his breath and grunted as she squeezed him harder. The pressure was too much for him to bear. Suddenly his vision blurred and he felt nauseous, dizzy; ready to give in.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Azrael called out to him mockingly. "Was this all you got?"

Azrael slowly disappeared and took the form of a man that shared the same deep, crimson eyes as Sasuke. He grinned ear to ear and laughed at Sasuke tauntingly. He was now entangled with long, raven hair instead of the blonde, wavy hair that caught him by surprise.

"Is your life meaningless now because you can't beat me?" his mocking voice echoed through Sasuke's ears.

Sasuke's eyes bulged and he snapped back to reality. His eyes were filled with pure hatred and he gritted his teeth. He shook violently with rage. The veins on his clenched fists tightened and nearly popped out. He roared in fury and suddenly freed himself as he caught Azrael by surprise and landed casually on the floor.

Azrael gasped and slowly walked away from Sasuke. She stopped when she bumped into the wall. Suddenly her worries washed away in an instant and she slowly transformed into Sakura.

She smiled sweetly at Sasuke and said kindly, "Sasuke, you won't dare lay a finger on me. Will you?"

Sasuke grabbed her from the shoulders and slammed her harshly against the wall. A drop of blood trickled down her mouth and created a small dot on the floor.

"You know where my brother is, so tell me!" hissed Sasuke.

"I don't see why I should tell you," she said as she smiled. "Let's make a deal. If you hand me the girl easily and not go after me, I'll tell you where your brother is. It's that simple."

Sasuke grunted and squeezed Azrael's shoulders harder. She let out a small cry and lifted her leg to launch a kick, but Sasuke blocked it beforehand.

"I don't make deals," he said coolly.

"Too late," Azrael said softly as she shut her eyes and returned to her original form. "You had a choice."

Suddenly Sasuke let go of her and fiercely ran out the room. He ran to the kitchen and found pieces of tea cups scattered on the floor. His dark eyes widened. Why hadn't he checked on her when he heard the cups shatter? He ran through the hallway and desperately searched all of the rooms, but there was no sign of Sakura. He stopped in his tracks as lighting flashed. He looked to his right and noticed the window was ajar. The wind hissed at him as he walked towards the opened window. Rain poured lightly from the sky and the last drop of rain reached the ground. A soft, gust of wind blew on Sasuke's pale face as he stuck out his head.

"So that's why they were trying to do. That girl tried to distract me to buy time while someone else kidnapped the other girl," he murmured to himself. "And that someone else was Hiroshi, that barstard!"

Sasuke thrust his fist against the hard, white wall. His fist throbbed with pain, but he didn't seem to care. If he can't find his brother, how does he expect to find Sakura? He felt like such a fool. He gathered up all of his feelings and punched the wall with both his fists furiously. His hands bled, but he kept on going. He banged on the walls loud enough to match the roaring of the thunder. He felt a presence behind him and he stopped.

"You're going to stain the walls if you keep on doing that."

It was Azrael's voice. Sasuke turned around and his eyes blazed with burning fire. He cursed under his breath and in a blink of an eye, he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her neck.

"Tell me where she is!" demanded Sasuke as he seized her firmly.

"Don't you…want to know…where your…brother is?" she gasped.

"Don't try to trick me again. Hiroshi must have taken her to where _he_ is."

"I'll…tell you!" Azrael gasped frantically for air as soon as Sasuke let go of her. She landed on the floor on her knees and coughed, heaved for air and coughed once more until she regained her normal breathing again.

Her eyes fell on the floor and suddenly after a few moments she said morosely, "Hiroshi took the Missing Child to a deserted building not far from here. If you know well the streets of Tokyo, you'll be able to find it. That's all I'm going to tell you."

Azrael couldn't believe she was such a coward. She was about to give her life away to an Uchiha, and because of her fear of dying, she spilled the words to him. She couldn't face Itachi ever again. She was ashamed of herself. She had no right to keep on living.

"Please, kill me," she said sullenly, "I don't deserve to live anymore. I can't face Itachi ever again. He'll look down on me. He won't ever again entrust me with anything. I failed him, so please kill me."

Sasuke stared at her impassively. He casually walked past her and stopped.

Without looking back, he murmured, "There's only one person I want to kill and that is Itachi."

He looked over his shoulder and said in a stern tone, "Tell me. What does Itachi want with the girl? What do you mean by the Missing Child?"

Azrael sighed as she shut her cerulean, blue eyes. She was relieved Sasuke made the decision not to kill her. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that Itachi and Sasuke were similar in many ways, although Sasuke would never admit it, much for his hatred towards Itachi.

After a few moments she said with a smile, "It's a long story and soon you'll learn the whole truth about everything through me."

--

"_Hey, Sakura," a hand shook Sakura awake from her sleep. Sakura slowly fluttered her eyes opened and her sister, who woke her up, smiled sweetly at her. Kin chuckled softly and tucked a strand of her silky, auburn hair behind an ear. _

"_We should hurry back inside before it starts raining," suggested Kin as she held out her hand to Sakura and lifted her up back to her feet. Sakura murmured a low 'thank you'. _

_After playing long hours of tag with her sister and friends, Sakura got exhausted and collapsed on the grassy field and blankly knocked out. The sun shone on her face in her sleep, but Sakura didn't mind for she was locked away in a faraway world, dreaming about never ending dream of a prince riding a horse, coming to save her._

_Sakura looked up at the cloud and she flinched when a small drop of rain fell on her face from the dark, grey clouds that hovered above her. _

"_Hurry up, Sakura!" Kin yelled for she was already a few feet away from Sakura._

_Sakura hastily ran to catch up to her. Kin laughed as Sakura's little feet struggled to take her with them. Sakura laughed too. They were playing another game of tag. _

"_Wait, onee-chan!" Sakura cried out to her as she quickened her pace. _

_Sakura didn't want this day to end. She was having too much fun. Although her legs weren't fast enough to take her to her sister, Kin's joyful smile was what made everything fun. _

_Suddenly a strong gust of wind made Sakura stop to a halt. She looked up ahead of her and her eyes widened in fear. Her sister slowly faded away. Her back was faced against Sakura and she stood in the middle of the grass field, not moving a single inch. Sakura reached out to her and called out to her, but there was no response. Sakura's eyes blurred with tears and as she desperately called out to Kin, suddenly she disappeared out of thin air and all that remained were leaves slowly floating in the air and landing on the grass._

_One dream lead to another. Sakura found herself in the mourning of people. Their cries rose and suddenly Sakura found herself crying with them. She sobbed and hiccupped. She realized where she was at; at the funeral of her dead sister. She saw her parents holding onto each other, crying softly at the loss of their loving daughter. A few feet away from her she saw people gathered around a rust-colored coffin. As she got closer to the swarm of people, they slowly walked away from the coffin and Sakura, afraid and scared, stood a few inches away from the coffin. She gulped and she shook in fear. More tears ran down her face and when she finally gathered all of her courage, she walked over to her sister's coffin. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The coffin was empty. _

--

Sakura's eyes shot open and she rose from the ground. She gasped for air. Sweat slithered down her face. She wiped the sweat away and placed her hand over her heart. She sighed in relief and convinced herself it was only a nightmare. She looked around her. She was surrounded in complete darkness.

"Where am I?" she asked herself.

Her head throbbed in pain and suddenly she remembered what happened last night. As she held the tray of cups and was about to make her way out the kitchen, someone knocked her out while she was distracted. Since then, she remained unconscious until today, when she woke up from her nightmare. She pondered over her dream for a few moments and shook her head violently when she realized it wasn't as important. First she needed to find out where she was at. Then she had to find a way to get out of here.

Sakura then wondered if this kidnapping had to do with the fact that she's the "Missing Child". Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door creak. Sakura flinched as the light hit her face. She tried to see through the light, but instead saw a pair of golden eyes that gleamed through the darkness. Footsteps approached her and became louder and louder as each second passed. Sakura's heart skipped a million beats. Her breath quickened. She didn't know what stood before her. The curtains of the windows opened and the room became radiant as the rays of the sun shone through the windows.

Sakura's jaw dropped and she pointed an accusing finger at what stood before her.

"You're the g-guy from b-before!" she stuttered as she fidgeted nervously on the floor.

"The name's Hiroshi," he said casually.

Sakura quickly stood up in a fighting pose, ready to fight Hiroshi, but he showed no sign of interest and shrugged it off.

"You hurt my friend. I won't let you hurt anyone else."

Tears of anger and despair formed in Sakura's eyes. Hiroshi noticed this and shook his head as he crossed his arms.

He grunted and said, "Miki will be fine. Come, someone wants to see you."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you."

"Hey, you're turning your back against the good guys," Hiroshi said and winked. "If you follow me, we'll tell you what's going on."

Sakura blinked. She didn't know the meaning behind those words so she was a bit taken aback. She frowned and grunted and walked over to Hiroshi.

Her fear for him vanished and suddenly she asked, "Where are we going?"

As Hiroshi walked beside her, he didn't bother to look at her and said, "Don't you pay any attention? I said someone wants to see you."

Sakura pouted. More secrets were being kept away from her. They walked through a dark hallway and Sakura could barely see what's in front of her. It was eerie and hollow and Sakura figured it was an abandoned building, but she wasn't too sure. Suddenly Hiroshi stopped and Sakura nearly bumped into him. Hiroshi and Sakura stood in front of the door, as it appeared to Sakura because Hiroshi turned the door knob and opened the door suddenly to find that this room was lit up by lights. In the middle of the room there was a huge table and in the seats of the table sat a lot of people unknown to Sakura. All eyes were on her. Suddenly Sakura's legs wobbled and she felt uneasy. She noticed that one immediately stood up and motioned Hiroshi to close the door behind him. Sakura soon found out that he was the head of the organization when Hiroshi called out his name.

"Itachi-sama, I brought the Missing Child as you ordered me to."

Sakura froze in fear. Her eyes widened in disbelief. An eerie feeling crept up inside of her. Shivers went up her spine. The one who had hurt Miki, the one who had killed his own clan, stood only a few feet away from her. He wanted something from Sakura, but she wasn't so sure what he could use of her. Was it because of what Hiroshi claimed of her to be? The Missing Child? Was she worth being used on? If she was, surely she had no clue about it until now.

"Sakura-san, am I right?" asked Itachi.

Sakura nodded slowly. She was afraid to speak. What if he tried to hurt her like he hurt Miki? What if he tried to kill her like he killed his own clan?

"Have a seat," he said as he sat down and motioned Sakura to take the empty seat across from him.

Hiroshi nudged her and Sakura hesitantly walked over to the seat. Her legs shook and her hands trembled. She wasn't sure what to do. She was afraid that even the sound of her own breath will kill her.

"You have heard about me, yes? From my brother, Sasuke?" he asked.

Sakura nodded. She clasped her hands and hid them beneath the table. She felt awkward that all eyes were on her so she meekly looked at the floor.

"It's true that there is a rumor about a person who killed his own clan, but it was never confirmed why that person killed them. Perhaps that's because that person never killed his clan in the first place."

Sakura's eyes quickly met Itachi's. He resembled Sasuke so much, yet they were different in many ways. Itachi seemed the opposite of what Sakura expected him to be. If he truly wanted to kill her, he would have done it at that moment or before, but it didn't seem as if Itachi had interest on owning her corpse.

"So, who was it?" asked Sakura as she finally gathered all of her courage to say.

"Someone who has hidden his face for all these years in the darkness," Itachi simply replied. Sakura noticed a hint of hatred in his voice. She wasn't sure whether to believe him, but it didn't seem to Sakura that Itachi was not telling the truth.

"It was someone who brought pain and suffering to all of us here," a voice said from behind. "And we want to kill him for that."

The voice seemed awfully familiar to Sakura. Her ears didn't want to believe it, but as she quickly turned around, she noticed that her ears have not tricked her. Tears gathered up in her emerald eyes. She abruptly rose from her seat, causing the seat to knock down.

A tear rolled down her cheeks as she called out softly, barely audible, "Onee-chan…"

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sakura?" Kin said with a genuine smile.

* * *

**A/N: **Took me a while to post this up. I already had it since last week, but I had some editing to do and a lot of homework too. :) And today was the PERFECT day to edit and update. ;) I hope you liked it. :D I worked really hard to make it really intense and exciting. I hope I did good…

**NEW OC-**

Azrael - ?

I found her name on the dictionary. lol I wanted her name to start with the A and when I checked that name out on the dictionary, the definition fit her perfect and so that's what her name ended up to be. She's not a very important character. I just needed her for this chapter and for like two or three more chapters, but she'll have some very minor scenes. ;) If you liked her, well I'm sorry. XD

Refer back to the quote when she said she was going to be the angel who was going to kill Sasuke. That's the definition. lol

So anyways, I'm not sure if I'm halfway done with this fic because I STILL have some explaining to do with the whole 'Missing Child' concept and the cliffhanger, ect. So I'll say like another 9 chapters more? Gawd. This is like the longest fic I've ever written, but I enjoy it very much. Don't forget to review!! Thanks so much everyone!! And remember, I'm a very random person so I'll update anytime. ;) I can't make promises!!


	10. Revelations

* * *

**.:CHAPTER 10:.**

_REVELATIONS_

* * *

"Onee-chan…" Sakura whispered again as more tears slithered down her cheeks one by one.

Kin shot her another warm smile and took a step forward. Sakura watched in disbelief as her sister, no, rather a corpse of her older sister walked towards her. She slowly backed away, unable to believe that her sister was actually alive. She didn't believe in scary stories, but neither could she believe that her sister had been alive all these years; all these years that she has missed her absence.

"Stay away from me!" Sakura cried frantically.

Kin stared incredulously at Sakura, her face twisted in hurt and anguish. She arched a brow in confusion, puzzled by her sister's reaction.

"Sakura, don't you recognize me?" Kin asked softly.

"You're not my sister. You're just a corpse! My sister died seven years ago, when I was only eight years old."

"No, Sakura," Kin said comfortingly, "You got it all wrong. You see-"

"No!" Sakura interrupted as she shook her head roughly, "I don't want to hear it! Be quiet! Don't say anything! I…don't want…to hear it…"

Sakura's heart wretched with a deep pain and anguish and she collapsed on her knees. She burrowed her face in her hands and sobbed, loudly enough for her cries to echo throughout the room. Tears formed on the pit of Kin's throat and she too also found herself crying alongside Sakura. Kin reached out her hand to comfort her, but Sakura slapped it away.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed.

Sakura looked up, her eyes enraged with hate, filled with tears of sorrow and anger. Kin was taken aback. She had spent so many years with Sakura, but she had never seen her like this.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," Kin said gently as she attempted to place her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"That's all you have to say? Sorry?" Sakura snapped as she lifted her head up.

"Were we not good enough for you, onee-chan? Did you leave us because you didn't like us?" Sakura asked in despair, anxiously waiting for a reply.

"It's not like that, Sakura," her sister said in between sobs, "You're misunderstanding things. I love you guys more than anything, which was hurtful for me when I had to leave you guys."

"You…abandoned us!" Sakura yelled out in rage.

"It's not like that! I had to fake my death because I couldn't let the secret out so carelessly. It was for my own good."

"What secret?!" Sakura yelled. "I'm sick of secrets! Tell me everything, please. Why did you abandon me?" Sakura pleaded, her eyes thirsty for answers, for revelations.

"Kin," Itachi intervened. "It's best if you tell her now."

Kin hesitated at first, but then gave in. She took in a deep breath and then heaved a long sigh.

Sakura's heart gave off a wave of anxiety, but at the same time joy. At last she was about to find out the truth about everything. What's more, her sister was alive. So many questions were going to be answered in just a few moments. She was ready for any impact that she was about to take, whether they were good or bad.

"Sakura, I didn't abandon you nor father and mother. Seven years ago I found out who my true family were, who I really am. I told father and mother to tell you that I died, so when I left, you wouldn't go after me."

"But why?" inquired Sakura with curious eyes.

Her sister frowned and deep lines formed on her forehead. Her face was hollow, shadowed with a deep sorrow that was too abstract to comprehend.

"My family, rather my clan were allies of this other clan known as the Uchiha clan. Together my clan cooperate with the Uchiha clan to exterminate beings that don't belong here."

"Beings that don't belong here?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes. They don't have a specific name, so we label them as vampires, because they dwell in the night. They have the special ability to take the image of a human being and transform into them."

"But how is that?" asked Sakura.

"We live in a supernatural world, Sakura, although only a few of us know it."

"Fortunately, in the Great Battle of the Fated One," Kin continued, "two hundred years ago, most of them were killed and only a few of them have survived until this day. One of them is after you."

Sakura's eyes bulged. Her heart hammered painfully against her chest. One of those vampires is after her, but why?

As if she had read her mind, Kin said, "Because you're the Missing Child. You've been missing for all these years and now that you have appeared, he's after you because of the great power that lies within you, a power that needs yet to be awakened. With that power, he'll create a world with no human beings; a world filled with vampires. We, on the other hand, have a different name for you, as it says in the myth. To us, you're known as the Fated One, because you're believed to stop him from creating the world he desires, by sacrificing your life in the process, making a balance with the world to undermine his plans."

Sakura gasped and she shook with fear. She was the source of the world that vampire planned to create. More than that, she's destined to sacrifice her life, in other words, die, as it says on the myth.

"That same vampire that is after you was the same vampire that actually murdered Itachi's parents. He took the image of his face, transformed into him and murdered his whole family, all because they knew of your existence and tried to protect you and because, with their sharingan and special abilities, they could have easily murdered him. Itachi here is after that vampire for revenge."

Sakura had simply forgotten about the man who stood a few feet away from her. She looked up to him and their eyes met. Suddenly she looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed and ashamed. She had yelled at her sister, accused her of abandoning her without knowing the true story behind it all, and has looked at Itachi as a murderer, but she was proved to be completely wrong.

Suddenly Itachi got up from his seat and slowly walked towards Sakura. She felt her heart stop dead. She knew he wasn't a bad guy, yet his eyes still scared her. His pensive eyes had a small glint of hatred, but not towards her, but towards the vampire that killed his family. He reached out his hand to her and grabbed her wrist in an abrupt, but gentle manner. Then he placed the palm of her hand on his forehead and shut his eyes.

Kin must have seen how confused Sakura was when she told her, "One of your special abilities requires you to see into people's minds and also their pasts. He wants you to see his past, Sakura. All you have to do is shut your eyes too and let yourself enter into his mind."

Sakura nodded and hesitantly shut her eyes. She didn't understand how this "special ability" of her worked, but she still gave it a try anyway. First she emptied her mind out of everything and then concentrated on connecting with Itachi's mind. After so many tries, none of them were successful. She was beginning to become irritated, but Kin told her to be patient. After a few moments, Sakura managed to successfully enter Itachi's mind.

She saw how many scenes lead to another. She saw a man shrouded in a dark cloak, his face hidden in the shadows. She saw him transform into Itachi's form and snickered to himself as he left the scene. Then she saw a desperate boy running away from this same person, crying out for help. She immediately recognized him to be a younger Sasuke and she immediately realized that this was the same dream she dreamt about a day before she met Sasuke. These scenes still remained vague to her and lacked a few details, but she somehow was able to put all the missing pieces of the puzzle together. Itachi did not kill him family after all, instead this "vampire" did. Sasuke was chased after this vampire who took his brother's form and since that day, he always thought that Itachi had killed his clan. This vampire was obviously trying to separate these two, but why?

"Sasuke…" Sakura whispered as she suddenly remembered about him. "He has to know about this. I have to tell him!" she said as she abruptly stood up, but her sister pulled her down.

"There's no need," Kin said casually.

As she said this, the doors suddenly burst open. Everyone who had been sitting on the table suddenly stood up, in a defensive mode. Itachi signaled them to sit down and reassured them everything was going to be alright. Beneath the shadows, two deep crimson eyes glowered straight at Itachi. Those eyes were filled with anger and hatred and were thirsty to kill. A shiver crawled up Sakura's spine and suddenly she felt fear towards this person. She knew who he was, yet she felt as if a mere stranger was standing behind those doors.

"I've been awaiting your arrival…little brother," Itachi said in a serene voice.

Sasuke finally stepped out of the shadows and shot a deathful look towards Itachi.

"I finally found you," he murmured under his breath.

Sakura quickly glanced at Sasuke and then Itachi. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Her hands shook, her head throbbed, her heart raced.

"Your life ends right here and now!" Sasuke raged as he darted towards Itachi with menacing eyes. He secretly held something on his hand, ready to wield it for when the perfect moment came.

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura cried out as she ran in front of Sasuke. She held out her arms defensively, to prevent Sasuke from doing anything reckless.

Itachi appeared in front of Sakura in a blink of an eye. His movements were too fast for the naked eye to see. Sakura's eyes widened in shock when she saw what Itachi was blocking with his arm.

"This katana is not meant to kill humans," Itachi said sternly as he poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers. Sasuke instantly closed his eyes and fell harshly to the floor.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out in worry.

"Don't worry about him. I just simply put him to sleep. This way he'll calm down a bit," Itachi reassured her.

Sakura sighed in relief. She had underestimated Itachi again and she cursed herself for thinking that Itachi actually attempted to kill Sasuke.

"Sakura," Kin called out to her sister, "Your powers have yet to be improved. Tomorrow morning we'll start your training. This vampire is after you and it is your destiny to defeat him. You have to be ready for whenever the time comes."

Sakura nodded in approval. She was the world's only hope to save it and she couldn't let everyone die and wither away. She was the Fated One, the Missing Child that everyone had been waiting for. At last she has appeared and now everyone relied on her.

Kin motioned to Sakura to follow her and Sakura obediently walked after her. She looked back and quickly glanced at Sasuke who still laid motionless on the floor. She fretted for him, wondering whether he will believe Itachi or not, and decided to wait until tomorrow to find out. She was tired and her mind swirled with a lot of thoughts, with a lot of questions still left unanswered. First she needed to get a good rest and then set her mind on things tomorrow. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

--

_A woman in labor fiercely gripped the sheets of the bed as she heaved and huffed, heaved and huffed. She felt the extravagant pain overwhelm her. Back in her time, hospitals have not been built yet and she had no other choice but to give birth to her child in her own bed. Her maid encouraged her to push and push. The woman cursed under her breath and gritted her teeth as she pushed with all her might. Distant cries of a baby echoed through her head and she suddenly felt the world above her turn pitch black and thrust down on her. The maid held the bloody baby on a now soaked blanket. Her eyes widened in disbelief and she feared the worst for the baby. The poor child was now an orphan. _

--

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N: **I feel sooo bad I haven't updated for the longest. TT Please forgive me. :( I hope you liked the chapter! :) I promise you guys next chapter will be good, but I can't say when I'll have it up. XD

-Itachi is good  
-Kin is alive  
-Azrael didn't tell Sasuke the truth after all  
-Sakura is the main character, not Sasuke P  
-I left out so many things out...but I'll explain more in the coming chapters ;)  
-What happened to Hiroshi? This was just a chapter based on two sisters and two brothers: Kin and Sakura; Itachi and Sasuke  
-Yes, Sakura was being a little too hard on Kin, but I'm sure you can sympathize with her, yes?

Any questions that WON'T spoil the ending are more than happy to be answered. :)

Umm...thanks Vampire Knight for inspiring me to keep on writing. 33


	11. Truth

* * *

**.:CHAPTER 11:.**

TRUST

* * *

Miu twirled the pencil with her fingers as her mind wandered somewhere far. Her eyebrows knitted together as she fell in a pensive state. Thoughts swirled her mind, questions arose, and suddenly she was thirsty for answers. Since this morning nothing has been on her mind, but that strange and confusing moment that has been haunting her ever since. She was beginning to become irritated and suddenly her thoughts were interrupted when her teacher spoke.

""Miss Haruno?" he asked as he scanned the room, looking for a certain pink-haired student of his. "Miss Haruno? Absent?"

His eyes quickly darted towards Miu. "Miss Suzuki, is Miss Haruno sick or something? She's rarely absent to school."

Miu nodded her head in disapproval and said, "I don't know, teacher."

She cupped her hand under her chin and gazed out the window. A mouse was struggling to free itself from a cat's grip. Its claw held the mouse firmly against the ground and the mouse suffocated under the cat's weight. The cat purred and it was almost as if it smirked, as if it was content that it successfully held its food under its paw. It got distracted by its evil sin of gluttony that it didn't notice that the mouse was no longer under its paw.

--

Miu stood outside the doorway of Sakura's house, her face agape and utterly confused. The door was ajar and she fought with herself whether she should go in or not. She didn't want to intrude, but she also found it suspicious that the door was half opened. She called out Sakura's name, yet there was no reply. She grabbed a pebble she found on the ground and threw it towards Sakura's window room. Surprisingly Sakura's face didn't pop out of the window to say she was running late and that she'd be down there in a minute.

Miu sighed and hesitantly went inside the house. Her eyes widened in shock and a scream almost escaped her mouth. Blood was tainted on the walls of the hallway and the window was wide opened. She carefully walked through the hallway and into the kitchen. She saw stains on the floor, objects scattered everywhere and out of place. She picked up a familiar picture of Sakura and her older sister Kin and placed it back to its original place. She went inside the kitchen. Shattered glass filled the kitchen floor and for as much as the house was disordered, Miu began to suspect more and more.

"What is this?" she thought out loud, "It can't be…a murder scene…but this blood on the wall is fresh, so it happened either last night or early in the morning."

"That's right. This happened last night," a deep husky voice said from behind.

Miu abruptly turned around and found herself in the presence of two familiar faces belonging to a man and a woman. They both wore long, white cloaks. The man held stern emerald eyes and he pushed his falling glasses further up his nose. He was tall, slim and middle-aged with short shaggy hair and heavy bags forming under his eyes. The woman's docile, dark blue eyes gazed at Miu. Her long, silky pink hair was tied up in a ponytail.

"Nao-san! Minako-san!" Miu said, surprised.

Minako's soft, pale hands rested on Miu's shoulder and she smiled as she said, "Miu-chan, I'm sorry you had to see this. I'm afraid you have to go now or you'll be late to school."

They were Sakura's parents, but they seem calmed and collected about this.

Miu softly brushed Minako's hand off her shoulder and said, "Minako-san, please tell me what's going on. Where's Sakura? What happened here?"

Minako sighed and shook her head in disappointment.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you anything. I have no right-"

"Sakura! Where is she?" demanded Miu, her eyes tense.

Minako's eyes widened in surprise. In all the years that she has known Miu, she had never acted this way.

She smiled softly and said, "Sakura really does mean a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"Miu-san," Nao said after a long time, "You can't stay here any longer. You have to leave. You'll be late to school. Sakura won't be going to school for a few days, weeks, months, I don't know. We can't tell you anything. We don't want you to worry, so please don't make this any harder than it already is."

"But-"

"Miu-chan, please," interrupted Minako, her eyes still kind, her voice still soft.

Miu noticed a glint in her eyes and decided not to go any further with this. She sighed and as she headed her way towards the door, she stopped, turned around and said, "If you ever see Sakura again, please tell her that she can trust me and to come back home."

Both Minako and Nao nodded and watched Miu go out the door. Minako slumped in a kitchen chair and placed her hand on her forehead.

"This was bound to happen. After all, she _is_ the child of prophecy," Minako sighed, "We should have told Sakura everything, Nao."

"About being the Missing Child?" he asked.

"Everything, Nao! Everything!" she yelled as she bursts into tears.

Nao went over to her side and hugged her tightly.

"Tears aren't the solution," he said softly into her ear.

"It's the only thing I can do right now…cry," she murmured as she buried her head on his chest.

"Shh, it's okay, Everything will be okay," he tried to comfort her, but instead she jerked away from his embrace.

"You know very well it's not going to be okay, Nao. You know very well that she…that Sakura will…" she said in between sobs.

After a long moment of silence, after sobs and tears and despair, Nao said, "Miracles can happen."

--

The dismissal bell rang and Miu hurriedly made her way through the hallways. She struggled to get through crowds and when she found a small gap to go through, she bumped into someone on her way.

"Oh, sorry," she said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Miu!" a familiar voice said.

She looked up and found Jun looking at her in amazement.

"Jun! Sorry, I can't talk right now. There's somewhere I have to go…" she said.

She stopped in her tracks when she felt a firm, yet gentle grip on her wrist.

"I'm going with you," Jun said seriously.

"You have no idea where I'm going," Miu replied.

"I know it has to do with Sakura," he said, the tone in his voice different and concerned, "I know you know something. She was absent today and you seemed strange about that. She's my friend too and I want to help in whatever I can."

"I hardly know anything," Miu said sadly as Jun let go of her wrist.

"Well then, let's investigate together," Jun smiled genuinely at her and Miu felt her cheeks redden.

She quickly looked away and nodded silently.

"Yeah, let's investigate," she said, a smile in her voice.

--

"Sakura?" a distant voice called out to her softly. "Sakura, wake up."

Sakura stirred slightly in her sleep and suddenly the distant voice became more clear and her eyes shot opened when she recognized it.

"Onee-chan…" she uttered in slight surprise.

Sakura rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms as she yawned. Suddenly she remembered what had happened last night. She turned her head to look at her sister and sighed in relief.

"You really are here," she said as she smiled, "I thought it was all just another dream."

Kin's gold eyes warmed up and she smiled kindly at her little sister. She went over her and smothered her in a tight embrace.

"I won't ever leave your side ever again," she whispered as tears silently fell down her cheeks. "Please forgive me."

"I forgive you, onee-chan," Sakura said.

Once they left each other's arms, Kin gazed over at the door. She then looked back at her sister and Sakura's emerald eyes widened.

"Sasuke!" she suddenly remembered.

She sprang up from the bed she was sitting on and made her way to the door, until her sister abruptly took hold of her arm.

"Wait, Sakura," she said softly, "Sasuke is tied up in handcuffs. We're afraid of what he might do when he wakes up."

"But onee-chan-"

"You're the only one he trusts right now, since you have nothing to do with what happened in his past. Can you please take this bowl of soup to where he is once you eat? He's upstairs, to your right, second door," she said as she pointed to the two bowls placed beside the bed in wooden furniture.

"What will happen when we take off the handcuffs?" Sakura asked out of curiosity.

"He'll become our ally," replied Kin.

--

Sasuke struggled as he tried to free himself from his imprisonment. He cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth as he did anything possible to free himself but soon stopped when he realized it was impossible. He sighed and closed his eyes and suddenly shot them open when he heard someone open the door.

"It's you," he said in a cold tone.

"Yes," replied Itachi.

"You're the last person I want to see, but the first to kill," Sasuke said menacingly.

"Soon you'll learn the whole truth."

"Don't start this bullshit that you're innocent like that other girl said!"

Itachi's eyes slightly widened and he said, "I see Azrael already told you."

"And I don't believe anything," Sasuke said as he shot a cold glare towards Itachi.

"Sakura," Itachi called and she nervously popped her head inside the room.

"Y-yes?" she stuttered timidly. She wondered to herself how he knew she was behind the door, listening, but it soon came upon her that this is Itachi after all.

"It's up to you. Use your gift to reveal him the truth," he ordered as he walked out the room, Sasuke's bitter eyes trailing behind him.

'_My gift?'_ she wondered to herself.

Sasuke turned his head away from her as he cursed under his breath again. Sakura shifted nervously and walked towards Sasuke, with the bowl of soup in her hands. She bent down in front of him, avoiding any means of eye contact in case he turned his head towards her. She placed the bowl in front of him and quickly got up to head towards the door.

"Hey," Sasuke called out to her and she stopped in her tracks. "How do you expect me to eat this?"

Sakura had completely forgotten he was handcuffed.

"Well, do you expect me to feed you?" she asked as she turned around to face him.

Her cheeks slightly reddened as he stared at her blankly, the answer obvious.

"I'm not really hungry, though," he told her and suddenly his stomach growled loudly.

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically.

She headed back towards Sasuke and bent down to grab the bowl of soup. She took hold of the spoon and her hand shook as she tried to feed Sasuke in the mouth. He rolled his eyes exasperatedly as he waited impatiently.

"Hurry up-" he was interrupted when she placed the spoon inside his mouth. His tongue burned and he quickly swallowed the soup as it smoldered down his throat.

"It's _hot_," he said irritatingly.

"At least appreciate the fact that I'm bothering to feed you," she said as her cheeks blushed.

As she tried to place the soup on the floor to let it cool, it slipped off her hands and spilled all over Sasuke's shirt. He flinched in pain as it burned deep into his skin. Sakura gasped and quickly aided to Sasuke. A will stronger than her mind forced her to move her hands on her own as she hesitantly unbuttoned his shirt. She placed her right hand on his chest, where she burned him, and Sasuke suddenly relaxed as the burn cooled down.

"Sorry," Sakura said guiltily.

"So this is one of the Missing Child's many gifts," Sasuke said and Sakura quickly turned to him.

"You mean to say I have more?" she asked curiously.

"Aside from healing, yes," he replied.

"_It's up to you. Use your gift to reveal him the truth,"_ Itachi's words resounded in her mind.

An idea suddenly sprang up and she said to Sasuke, "Close your eyes. I want to show you something."

"Huh?" he asked in utter bewilderment.

"Just do as I say," she ordered and Sasuke closed his eyes.

Sakura placed both her hands on the sides of Sasuke's head. She closed her eyes as well and slowly leaned towards Sasuke. Their foreheads touched and suddenly Sasuke felt a connection to Sakura. Her mind connected to his mind and he was able to see what she was seeing in her mind.

"This is what I want to show you," she whispered and his breathing suddenly became irregular as he saw his past be repeated again and the truth finally revealed.

**TO BE CONTINUED**…


End file.
